WELCOME TO THE
LEADING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SINCE 1962 WELCOME TO THE
FAMILY HANDBOOK 2015-2016
High School Middle School Elementary School www.a-s-b.com WELCOME TO THE Early Childhood C/ Jaume Balmes, 7 Center 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
WELCOME TO THE OF BARCELONA
Family Handbook 2015-2016
The American School of Barcelona C/Jaume Balmes, 7 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat Barcelona - Spain Telephone: (34) 93 371 40 16 Fax:(34) 93 473 47 87 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.asbarcelona.com
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...... 7
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ...... 7
CORE BELIEFS ...... 8
VISION ...... 8
MISSION ...... 8
ASB ADMINISTRATORS ...... 9
PROFILE OF THE ASB AND IB LEARNER ...... 10
SCHOOL LOGISTICS ...... 10
The School Day ...... 10
Arrival ...... 11
Dismissal ...... 11
Changes in Pick-up Arrangements ...... 12
Bus ...... 12
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND ABSENCE PROCEDURES ...... 13
Excused absences ...... 13
Unexcused absences ...... 14
Tardiness ...... 14 ADULT PROCEDURES FOR ENTERING CAMPUS AND MAIN BUILDINGS . . . . 14
BOOKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES ...... 15
APPROPRIATE SCHOOL DRESS ...... 15
COMMUNICATION ...... 16
Communication Chain ...... 16
Communication Tools ...... 16
PARENT MEETINGS AND PROGRESS REPORTS ...... 17
STUDENT SERVICES ...... 18
Health Office / Nurse / Medical Procedures ...... 18
Library / Media Resource Center ...... 19
Lunch and Cafeteria ...... 19
Technology ...... 20
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ...... 20
Athletic Program Policy...... 20
ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES ...... 21 Learning Support Department ...... 22
STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS AT ASB ...... 23
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ...... 24
STUDENT AND PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS ...... 25
Expectations for Student Behavior ...... 25
Expectations of Parents ...... 25
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER ...... 27
WELCOME TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER ...... 27
ECC OVERVIEW ...... 28
ACADEMIC PROGRAM ...... 29
REPORT CARDS ...... 31
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES ...... 32
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ...... 33
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS IN THE ECC ...... 38
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ...... 39
WELCOME TO THE 2015-2016 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEAR ...... 39
THE ELEMENTARY TEACHING STRUCTURE ...... 40
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM ...... 40
ELEMENTARY REPORTING SYSTEM ...... 44
HOMEWORK POLICY ...... 45
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS ...... 46
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ...... 48
MIDDLE SCHOOL ...... 51
PROFILE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ...... 52
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM ...... 52
SPECIAL PROGRAMS ...... 53
GENERAL INFORMATION ...... 55
ACADEMIC MATTERS ...... 55
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ...... 61
ASB BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS ...... 63
DISCIPLINE PLAN OVERVIEW ...... 63
TRANSITIONS ...... 66
HIGH SCHOOL ...... 68
PROFILE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ...... 69 UNIVERSITY COUNSELING AND EXAMINATIONS ...... 71
SPECIAL PROGRAMS ...... 72
GENERAL INFORMATION ...... 73
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ...... 74
ACADEMIC MATTERS ...... 76 STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES,
AND DISCIPLINE PLAN ...... 85
APPENDIX I ...... 89
ASB ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY ...... 89
APPENDIX II ...... 92
SAMPLE CLASS SCHEDULE – GRADE 10 ...... 92
APPENDIX III ...... 93
ASB LANGUAGE POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 93
APPENDIX IV ...... 94
ASB COMMUNITY RESPECT POLICY ...... 94
APPENDIX V ...... 95
ASB – EMAIL PROTOCOL ...... 95
APPENDIX VI ...... 96
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION ...... 96
APPENDIX VII ...... 98
DISCIPLINE PLAN ...... 98
APPENDIX VIII ...... 102 PROCESSING OF DATA AND INFORMATION ON IDENTIFIABLE
LIVING PEOPLE ...... 102
APPENDIX IX ...... 104
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY ...... 104
AUTHORIZATION FORMS ...... 107
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM I ...... 109
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM II ...... 110
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM III ...... 111
Family Handbook 2015-2016 7
INTRODUCTION
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR:
Dear ASB Parents and Students,
We are pleased to count your family among our ASB community and we thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education and development. We believe that an important part of the education process is clarity of information and communication. In addition to our vision, mission, calendar, and staff contact information, the Family Handbook includes academic, extracurricular, and school service information as well as communication procedures and policies and other frequently asked questions. The first section of the handbook covers common procedures and policies shared by all school divisions. The second section of this document provides procedures and policy information that are unique to each division due to the developmental needs of different age groups.
We encourage you to read this Handbook together with your child(ren) as a family project. For your reference, both this ASB Handbook and the curriculum can be found on our website (www. asbarcelona.com) under MY ASB. In addition, at the end of this handbook, you will find several examples of important forms that need to be completed, signed and returned to your child’s homeroom teacher. If you have any questions or concerns, please address them to the Division Principal.
We believe that raising children successfully is a total team effort, accomplished as a result of cooperation between the family and the school. We look forward to sharing this responsibility with you.
Sincerely,
Mark Pingitore Director 8 Family Handbook 2015-2016
CORE BELIEFS
We believe that: 1. Optimal human development depends on balanced intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development. 2. Each individual has the inherent right to develop his/her unique potential. 3. Creativity and initiative enable an individual to promote and adapt to change. 4. The family is an extremely important influence on an individual. 5. Interacting in a diverse community enriches each individual. 6. Lifelong learning is essential to succeed in a rapidly changing, global society. 7. Every community needs the democratic participation and support of its members. 8. People are individually and collectively responsible for their actions. 9. Teamwork and collaboration promote excellence and foster a sense of belonging. 10. Embracing human values is an essential ingredient in a responsible society.
VISION
The American School of Barcelona is an international community of learners dedicated to academic excellence, committed to lifelong learning, and empowered to create a better world. We engage and challenge students to become caring and educated citizens of the world through varied learning activities that emphasize critical thinking, inquiry-based knowledge and multiple perspectives. ASB strives to be a leading international school in Europe, offering a premier education to internationally-minded families (expatriate and local) in Barcelona and serving as a resource for others in the global educational community.
MISSION
The mission of the American School of Barcelona is to fully develop each student’s unique potential by providing a high quality American/International/Spanish curriculum in an English-language based, respectful and diverse environment. Family Handbook 2015-2016 9
ASB ADMINISTRATORS
Mark Pingitore Director
Instructional Administrators
Bill Volchok High School Principal Paul Dean Middle School Principal Johanna Cena Elementary School Principal Christina Torrengo Early Childhood Center Principal Jennifer Killion K-8 Literacy Coordinator and Coach Michael Hennessy Secondary Teaching and Learning Coordinator
External Relations
Alison Carollo Head of Admissions Ana Mercadal Head of Human Resources and Alumni Valentina Pollini Head of Marketing and Communications Marta Vernet Head of Activities and Community Service
IT, Operations, Facilities and Business Office
Ferran Sole Operations Manager José Manuel Calahorra IT and Facilities Manager 10 Family Handbook 2015-2016
PROFILE OF THE ASB AND IB LEARNER
The ASB philosophy is based on developing students who express the characteristics defined by the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile:
Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to pose and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.
SCHOOL LOGISTICS
The School Day
The school day at ASB is from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Students may arrive as early as 8:30 AM, when supervision on the playgrounds begins. However, we ask that no student arrive before 8:30 because there is no supervision provided before that time. Unless they have special permission or are participating in after-school activities, students must leave by 4:15 PM. Students who need to Family Handbook 2015-2016 11 wait for siblings must wait off-campus or in the library. ECC and Elementary students should wait with the division secretary if their parents are running late.
Arrival
All parents and students will be allowed to access the school campus through the Main Gate on Jaume Balmes Street, and the Bus Gate located on Via Augusta. The Via Augusta entrance is closed daily at 9:20 AM. During dismissal, the bus gate on Via Augusta opens from 3:40 PM until 4:30 PM. During the school day, parents will access/exit the school campus through the Main Gate.
ECC: Upon arrival in the morning, ECC students should gather on the ECC playground. Students are not allowed in the building before 9 AM except in case of inclement weather. At 8:55 AM students will line up on playground and wait for their teacher to lead them to the classrooms. PK3 families will be allowed to accompany their child to their classroom the first 2 months of school. By the end of October, all PK3 students will wait in line for their teacher to lead them inside.
Elementary: Elementary students in grades 1-3 should gather on the Elementary playground in the morning. Students in grade 4 and 5 should gather on the red sports court. Students are not allowed in the building before 9:00 AM except in the case of inclement weather, when they should report directly to the cafeteria. When the bell rings at 8:55 AM students should begin to line up on the playground and wait for their homeroom teachers to lead them to the classrooms.
Middle School: Middle school students should gather on the soccer field outside of the Middle School entrance. Students are not allowed in the building until the bell rings at 8:55 AM except in the case of inclement weather, when they can gather inside of the Middle School entrance. When the bell rings, students may go to their lockers and then report to their first class of the day, which begins at 9:00 AM.
High School: High school students can enter the building at 8:30 AM. They can go to their lockers and wait in the cafeteria, 4th floor hallway or the 4th floor terrace. When the bell rings at 8:55 AM, students should go to their first period class, which begins at 9:00 AM.
Dismissal
ECC: The ECC students are dismissed at 3:45 PM. All ECC teachers will lead their class to the ECC playground for students to be picked up. Parents are requested to wait outside the building for their child(ren). The ECC area closes at 4:00 PM. The rest of the campus closes at 4:15 PM when the buses leave the school. All children, except for those involved in supervised after-school activities, should leave the campus. Once you have picked up your child, you are responsible for their safety and behavior. No child is allowed to play on school equipment after dismissal. The school cannot be responsible for unsupervised children on campus after school hours. 12 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Elementary: Students in grades 1 and 2 will wait to be picked up with their teachers by the vehicle access gate on Jaume Balmes. All other Elementary students should stay near the front gate to be picked up. All Elementary students are dismissed between 3:50-4:00 PM. In the event of rain, grade 1 and 2 students should be picked from the cafeteria by their parents.
Middle School and High School students are dismissed at 4:00 PM. Students should either go directly to their assigned bus or exit the campus.
Changes in Pick-up Arrangements
Students must remain on campus during the entire school day, including lunchtime, unless they have been given permission to leave. All students leaving early must be signed out by a secretary.
Parents who are not able to pick up a child directly after school should inform the homeroom teacher or the office at the earliest opportunity. Any Elementary student who is not picked up by an adult and walks home unaccompanied or with an older sibling, must bring in a signed document from parents giving permission for this to happen.
Throughout the school year, occasions arise when parents need to make changes in the arrangements for picking up their children. Some of the most common changes in the normal pick-up routines are: 1) sending another person to collect your child, 2) taking the child before the regular dismissal time, and 3) taking your child and one or more of your child’s classmates for an after-school activity.
As we want to ensure the safety of your child, we ask that parents please inform the school in writing if there are any changes in the arrangements for going home. Please note that we consider “early pick up” when your child is picked up before 3:15 PM. On the other hand, any student that has not been picked up after 4:00 PM in ECC or 4:15 PM in Elementary, Middle, and High School will be sent to the appropriate division secretary offices. Please do not leave your child at school unattended past 4:30 unless they are participating in afterschool activities. We want to do everything we can to ensure the safety of your child.
Information regarding any changes in a child’s own daily routine in ECC or Elementary should be given in writing (either a note or an email) to the homeroom teacher and the secretary should be notified. This is important with regard to changes in transportation arrangements as misunderstandings can cause much anxiety.
Bus
ASB currently has six bus routes: four to various parts of Barcelona; one to Sant Cugat and Valldoreix; and one to Sitges, Castelldefels and Gavà Mar. You may find detailed maps and times Family Handbook 2015-2016 13 of the bus routes in the Student Services section of the ASB website. To ensure safety and a comfortable atmosphere on the school bus, we request that students are on time at designated bus stops and follow the school behavior norms. Buses cannot wait for tardy students. For information on places on our buses, please contact the Business Office.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND ABSENCE PROCEDURES
Excused absences
Students are excused for absence from school only with authorization from their parents. Excused absences may be due to illness, official business, school trips or family travel issues. When possible, parents are requested to notify the school via email prior to the student’s absence from school. We urge parents to schedule routine medical appointments and travel days out of school time. Absences are only excused when an email or written note that details the student name, date of absence and explanation, signed by the parent/guardian, is received by the appropriate school secretary. For ECC and Elementary School students, this note can be written in the child’s homework agenda. In High School, an absence during the evaluation exams at the end of each semester will only be excused with a note from a doctor.
Any student who misses school because of an excused absence will be required to make up assignments and evaluations that were missed. Evaluations and assignments that were missed will be re-scheduled at the teacher’s discretion. Evaluations can be given on the first day that a student returns to school. It is the student’s responsibility to ask teachers for their make-up work.
Absences which result in a teacher needing to submit a grade of “Incomplete” for the quarter must be made up as soon as possible at the teacher’s discretion. Absences resulting in an “Incomplete” at the end of the year require recuperative work; this recuperative work is assigned at the teacher’s discretion.
Students will be allowed to leave school before 4:00 PM if a note/email is received by the division secretary from parents. This should be done first thing in the morning or they will not be allowed to leave, unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. A student who feels he is too sick to be in school must see the nurse before requesting that his parent or guardian be called for early dismissal and pick up. If the nurse is not available, the student should speak with the appropriate division leader.
For security reasons, students leaving school early must sign out in the Sign Out/In book at the division office. 14 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Unexcused absences
Parents will be contacted if students miss school without prior authorization. For absences that are not excused by the parent, such as a Secondary School student skipping classes, the school will communicate with the parents regarding the problem and a solution to it. Work or exams missed due to an unexcused absence may not be given credit in a class.
Multiple Absences
Secondary students who are absent for more than 10 days during a semester will be required to meet with the division principal and may not receive credit for that semester.
Tardiness
Students are expected to arrive to school on time daily. We consider students tardy if they arrive after 9:00 AM. Students arriving after 9:00 AM must stop at the main office to obtain a late pass. Repeated tardiness could lead to problems in academic progress and, therefore, parents will be contacted. All students must be seated in their appropriate classrooms when the bell rings for the start of each period. We do understand that morning traffic does occasionally result in late arrivals of buses and students arriving in cars. However, habitual lateness to school affects the efficiency of our communication with the students and may also result in loss of privileges and notification of parents.
In the ECC, we will begin to record tardiness as of October. This process is different for each age group: – K5 parents must accompany their late child to the main office to get a tardy slip. – PK-4 parents accompany their late child to the door but do not walk in the classroom with their child. – PK-3 parents are allowed 10 minutes to drop off their children in class. After 9:10 AM parents will not be allowed in their child’s classroom. The teaching assistant will greet the child at the classroom entrance and help him/her get ready for circle time.
ADULT PROCEDURES FOR ENTERING CAMPUS AND MAIN BUILDINGS
In order to ensure the safety of our students and staff, and to preserve the learning environment, all adult visitors, including parents of ASB students, must check in with the security guard and wear a visitor’s badge or their community ID badge. All parents should then proceed to the main front desk and speak with the receptionist who will arrange their meeting with the appropriate staff member. Unless it is a community event – such as a PA meeting, concert or Open House – visitors and parents must wait for the teacher or staff member to accompany them to their destination Family Handbook 2015-2016 15 within the school building. No parents should be found past the main entrance wandering the halls or campus unaccompanied, even with a badge. On leaving the school, the adult should sign out and return the visitor’s badge. Please note that no pets, including dogs, are allowed on the school grounds without the authorization from the school’s administration.
BOOKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Materials: In a summer letter, we send home a note with the list of materials that students will need in class. This list usually includes writing materials such as pencils, erasers, colored pencils, and markers as well as glue, scissors and products such as folders, post-its, Kleenex and wet wipes.
Because ASB has a one-to-one laptop policy in the Upper School, notebooks are used less frequently. Each Secondary School student is given one notebook per academic class at the beginning of the year, as well as a homework agenda. Students are expected to write their homework assignments for each class in their agenda, and use their agendas daily to assist with organization and homework completion.
Textbooks and Novels: Textbooks are purchased from the United States, Great Britain, and Spain and are reviewed and updated as needed to meet our program requirements. ASB supplies its students with textbooks and other academic materials although students are responsible for returning them in good condition. Any damaged or lost books must be paid for. If a book is misplaced, the teacher should be informed in case someone else has returned it. If it is not found, students will be asked to pay for a replacement copy. At the end of the school year, school textbooks and books are collected. Please remember that all texts must be returned, or replacements paid for, before final reports cards are issued.
In High School and Middle School, the Spanish and Catalan novels which are read throughout the year are purchased locally and belong to students. For English novels, the school purchases the books and students will be charged 60 euros in September for the set of English novels read throughout the year.
Online Textbooks: ASB makes extensive use of online/electronic textbooks. Student will be expected to actively use the e-texts at home and report any problems that occur in a timely manner.
APPROPRIATE SCHOOL DRESS
School-wide Dress Code: ASB students are expected to come to school with proper dress and accessories. Clothing is expected to be appropriate for an educational environment and respectful towards other students and teachers. Students wearing clothing or accessories determined to be distracting, insulting, socially abusive, or overly provocative may be removed from classes. Hats 16 Family Handbook 2015-2016 and sunglasses may not be worn inside the school building. Parents are urged to be aware of their child’s dress. While there is no uniform, students are expected to wear sports clothing during their PE classes (see Physical Education).
The following garments are not acceptable at ASB: • Short skirts, dresses, or shorts that do not extend down the thigh. (Skirts, dresses, and shorts are expected to be of a reasonable length, including if leggings or tights are worn); • Tube tops, spaghetti strap tanks, halter tops and strapless dresses; • Clothing that reveals the back or midriff, including when arms are raised; • Apparel that exposes the body below the armpits; • Clothing that makes undergarments visible, including see-through or mesh garments; • Hats, caps, hoods and/or sunglasses are essential for sun protection, however, they should not be worn inside the school building.
COMMUNICATION
Communication Chain
First Contact: The student’s homeroom/classroom teacher should be addressed first regarding any academic concern. If the concern is about other matters, please contact the following staff members: • Child Logistics and Notes -- Division Secretary (ECC, Elementary, Middle, and High School) • Financial Bus and Lunch Matters -- Business Office • After School Activities -- Head of Activities and Community Service • After School Sports -- Athletic Director • Health -- School Nurse • Social-Emotional Concerns -- Division Guidance Counselor
Second Contact: If none of the above contacts are appropriate or successful, contact the appropriate Division Leader.
Third Contact: If you have taken the appropriate steps but do not have a resolution/answer to your concern, please feel free to set up an appointment with the Director.
See Appendix VI for a detailed list of contact names.
Communication Tools
The Lantern: On a weekly basis you will be sent email access to ASB’s weekly digital newsletter, The Lantern. This bulletin informs you of recent school happenings and upcoming events or announcements. If you would like a hard copy you may obtain one from the main office. Family Handbook 2015-2016 17
Moodle (intranet): Moodle is an online resource where parents and students can find information about class assignments and readings, in addition to documents, forms, and information regarding school and extracurricular activities. At the beginning of the year, you will receive instructions on how to access Moodle.
PowerSchool: PowerSchool is a web-based student information system that allows parents to view their children’s grades and attendance online.
Social Media: ASB parents run a “Community Forum Facebook” page in which they exchange useful information. The school now also has its own institutional Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. In addition, the Director has his own blog. Following ASB social media is a great way to keep up with the latest happenings at the school, as well as to connect to other members of the community.
Director’s Breakfast, Principal and Staff Workshops: The Director holds a monthly morning “breakfast” and has occasional evening sessions. Principals also have meetings to support parents in collaborating with the school. These are forums in which specific topics of interest to the community are presented to all parents able to attend. The meetings are followed by question and answer sessions.
PARENT MEETINGS AND PROGRESS REPORTS
At ASB, we strive to ensure effective communication between parents and the school. The following channels of communication are provided: 1. Email use: We encourage email as our main form of communication with all staff. A directory of staff emails is available on the ASB website. See Appendix V for the school’s email protocol.
2. Scheduling Meetings: Meetings with staff members should be arranged with the appropriate secretary or teacher via email or phone. If you are in the Upper School or Lower School building, you may arrange a meeting by speaking directly to the secretary. See “Communication Protocol” section below for more information.is
3. Open House: In middle to late September, parents are encouraged to come to the school for Open House. Teachers introduce their general curriculum to parents.
4. Progress Reports/Report Cards and Parent/Teacher Conferences: Progress reports and/or report cards are issued three to four times a year depending on the school division. Parent/Teacher conferences to discuss students’ progress are held in November. In primary divisions, there are also March parent conferences. 18 Family Handbook 2015-2016
STUDENT SERVICES
Health Office / Nurse / Medical Procedures
Informing the School of Illnesses: ASB has a full-time nurse that treats students for minor ailments. Parents have to inform the school nurse when students have been sick for a longer period, have a contagious illness or lice (even if they have been treated). Regarding lice, students are requested to see the school nurse, once the lice treatment has been completed at home, before entering class first thing in the morning. The nurse can be contacted by email at nurse@ asbarcelona.com, or by telephone at 93 371 4016, extension 112.
Children should not come to school if they are sick, have had a fever during the last 24 hours, or if they have been given medication in the morning for a fever. In these cases, we ask you to keep your child at home and inform your child’s teacher, school nurse or school secretary. This is particularly important if your child has a communicable illness (measles, mumps, chicken pox, lice, etc.), so that other parents in the class can be advised to be on the look out for possible symptoms in their own children. Your child should not return to school until your doctor recommends it. We ask you to keep your children home 24 hours after a severe cold has been detected or they have been sent home from school due to illness. If your child continues to feel sick, once back in school, you will be called to pick him/her up immediately. We want to ensure that all of our students engage in a healthy and safe atmosphere. Be sure to inform your child’s teacher if your child has any allergies (e.g nuts) or other conditions (asthma, seizures) which might need special attention at school. (These conditions should be noted on the school Health Form). Parents are requested to complete confidential, medical information, yearly-updated form, which details important health information about your child.
If the school nurse requests a complete medical checkup of your child and/or a doctor’s certificate because he/she suspects a student to be ill, we expect your collaboration in this matter.
Accidents: If children have suffered an injury where they unable to move around independently they must stay at home until they have completely recovered. This may imply missing many days of school. ASB will not be able to provide internal care or an assistant to aid your child throughout the day. If parents wish to send their child to school by providing their own caretaker, please inform the Division Principal in order to organize the best way possible for your child’s adaptation back to his/her class.
Medication: The school’s general policy is not to administer medication to students. There are exceptions to this rule if a student requires medication during the school day or throughout the school year. In order to be able to administer medication to students, the student’s parents/legal guardian must submit the following legal documents:
Doctor’s Prescription: The doctor’s prescription must be attached to the medication with clear indications of dosage and times plus possible side effects. Family Handbook 2015-2016 19
Permission Form: Parents must fill out a form in which they explain that the medication can only be given to the student at the school and during school hours. By signing this form, parents agree to be responsible for the consequences of the administration of any medicine or treatment and give permission to the school to administer it. This form must be submitted to the school nurse.
The school may accept or refuse to administer medicine; parents will be informed in writing if the school refuses. The school nurse will take care of all documents and medicine.
If there is any emergency medication that your child might need, you should provide that for us, together with a note from your doctor and the medication authorization form signed by the parents (e.g., epi-pen, Ventolin, or any other emergency medicine). The nurse will keep it in the health office and put it in the first aid kit when the student goes on a field trip.
Emergencies and Hospitalization: First aid will always be provided when needed. However, if a student needs further medical attention, he/she will be taken to the nearest/most suitable hospital and parents/legal guardian will be immediately contacted. Information about the student will be provided to the hospital, always protecting the student’s rights. Such information will be given on behalf of parents. If parents are not present at the hospital, the director or the person designated to go with the student will act as his/her legal representative. As soon as the school makes contact with the parents or when they arrive at the hospital, they will be informed of anything that has been said about the student or of any actions taken.
Library / Media Resource Center
The Library-Media Resource (MRC) Center is open to all students, from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Outside of regular school hours, ECC students must be accompanied by their parents at all times. Students are encouraged to sign out books, read magazines or use computers. ECC and Elementary School students go to the library once per week as part of their schedule. Middle and High School students may be sent by their teachers to the MRC for research projects. Students may also use the MRC during lunch and recess time with permission from the librarian. Students are responsible for the books they check out and for returning them on time and in good condition. Damage or lost books must be paid for or replaced. There are two Librarians: the Elementary School and the Secondary School Librarian. We also have two library assistants and parent volunteers to support the operation of the library.
Lunch and Cafeteria
Hot, healthy lunches are prepared daily in our kitchen by a contracted food company, SANED. The meals are cooked on site and all students and staff enjoy their meals in our lunch room. Lunch menus are posted monthly on our intranet site. A nutritionist, in conjunction with the school nurse, 20 Family Handbook 2015-2016 is constantly overseeing the monthly menu. In addition, weekly required food controls are done to ensure a healthy and well balanced diet. If you are interested in your child receiving the school lunch, please contact the business office regarding the payment options. Students also have the option to bring to school their own lunch from home. Students who bring home lunch also need to bring their own eating and drinking utensils. If your child brings a home lunch, please ensure that you send the following items to school each day: a drinking cup (unbreakable), cutlery and a napkin. These items should be packed together with the lunch in a separate lunch bag marked with your child’s name. Teachers and/or assistants supervise classes during the lunch period and encourage the children to try different foods, to have table manners and to be independent eaters. ECC and Elementary students are not allowed to use the microwave to heat up their lunch from home, so please only send cold food or warm food in a thermos.
Technology
ASB has high speed Wi-Fi throughout the campus. All classrooms have digital whiteboards and projectors; ECC and Elementary classrooms use iPads; Elementary School teachers have access to laptop computer carts on each floor; the Middle and High School divisions run a one-to-one bring your own device (BYOD) program and students can charge their devices in their lockers. In addition, there are “technology integrators” (technology teachers who collaborate with other teachers in the use of technology in the classroom) in both the lower school and upper school divisions.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
After-school activities and sports: ASB runs an extensive after-school activities program, including a wide-range of sports, cultural, or academic activities. The activities run from 4:00 to 5:30 PM from Monday through Thursday, and some of the sports activities often hold games on Saturdays. ASB believes in providing the best possible activities and therefore many of the activities are run by professional organizations with whom the school has created partnerships. See the after-school activities program in the Student Life section of the ASB website for descriptions, schedules, prices, and registration information.
Athletic Program and Policy
As an active member of our ASB athletic program we would like you to know:
• ASB student-athletes are expected to commit themselves fully to that sport during that season. • ASB athletes are expected to be on time for all practices, meetings and games. • ASB athletes are expected to have the proper form completed and returned prior to participation in any official practice or competition. Family Handbook 2015-2016 21
• Any athlete who is failing any course will be ineligible for the ESC competition unless the administration makes an exception. • When ASB athletes have more than 3 unexcused missed practices, the coach has the right to decide if the player is no longer eligible to be on the team. Homework or exams won’t be accepted as an excused absence. • Each athlete is expected to properly care for all uniform and equipment articles assigned to them for the season. In the event that equipment or a uniform part are lost or damaged, the athlete will be billed for the replacement cost of the article. All returnable equipment and uniforms must be returned to the coach within one week of the last contest or the student will be billed for the replacement cost. • ASB athletes should accept the responsibility and privilege of representing your school, and conduct yourself in an exemplary manner at all time. • ASB athletes should live up the highest standards of sportsmanship, character, and personal integrity. • Athletes who are unable to participate in a practice because of injury or illness are expected to let the coach know and when possible, be on the bench supporting or assisting the coach. • Athletes who do not attend school on the day of a training are not allowed to practice that day. • Commitment should not be based on the amount of time played. • Families of athletes on a team are expected to offer housing in the event of friendly or ESC tournament in Barcelona. • If a student is on a team, they represent the school at the tournament for that sport. Once the teams are selected and approved by the administration, each family will be charged a 250 Euro deposit that will go towards the cost of the trip. If the athlete doesn’t follow through with the commitment to the team or has any disciplinary issues the school reserves the right to keep the deposit.
Community Service / Service Learning: ASB has a deep commitment to community service, especially in high school. Following the service learning approach, the school collaborates with a broad range of outside organizations, including the Generalitat, the US Consulate, local governments, Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, a wide range of NGO’s and multi-national corporations in mutually beneficial projects in which the both the broader community and the school, through students’ rich learning experiences, benefit. See each division’s section of this handbook for more information about the different programs.
ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Counseling Services: The counseling program at ASB gets its foundation from the American School Counseling Association National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs. This comprehensive approach focuses on assisting all students in the academic, personal/social and, in the case of high school students, career domains. Ultimately, counselors strive to help prepare students to become fruitful, respectful, contributing world citizens. The services provided by the ASB counseling program consist of individual and small group counseling, as well as classroom guidance lessons. Counselors consult with teachers, parents, staff, and administrators, as well as outside agencies for referral as needed. 22 Family Handbook 2015-2016
ASB has three counselors on staff: 1) Lower School, 2) Upper School, and 3) University Counselor.
Small Group Counseling: Small group counseling is provided for two or more students sharing the same needs. Participants of the group are referred by teachers, through a self-referral, by a parent(s), by the principal, director or by the school counselor. Groups typically last 4-8 weeks and are carefully planned to reduce the amount of time out of the classroom. The counselor must obtain parental permission before a student can participate in a small group.
Individual Counseling: Individual guidance is provided to any student referred to the counselor by themselves, a parent, their teacher, their Division Leader, or by any other school employee. Confidentiality is very important in individual counseling. If a student would benefit from ongoing individual counseling with a school counselor, parents will be notified and required to approve this service for their child.
Classroom Guidance Lessons: A variety of materials are used by the counselor to deliver classroom guidance curriculum. All lessons are directly related to topics that have been identified. In Elementary School the lessons are based on the monthly IB Profile Trait or Attitude. In Middle School the lesson is based on the Advisory theme. In Teen Issues the lesson is based on the Teen Issues curriculum. Consideration is also given to the ASCA National Model Counseling Standards and Competencies. Classroom guidance lessons may focus on academic and career development, as well as personal and social competence.
Consultation/Collaboration: The counselor consults and/or collaborates with teachers, parents, staff, and administrators, outside agencies, and community agencies to provide the best care for our students.
Coordination of Referral Services: As the need arises for outside agencies to become involved with the services provided to students, the counselor coordinates referrals to those agencies and provides follow-up care as needed.
Learning Support Department
Learning Support Teachers: In ECC, Elementary, and Middle School, ASB provides learning support for struggling students. Learning Support (LS) teachers and counselors work with students and parents to evaluate and coordinate any special support services students may need. In some cases, an individualized educational plan (IEP) may be set up for a student. The counselor or LS teachers may pull students out of a class for one-to-one or small group instruction or help define modified programs for a student within a classroom. When necessary, parents may be required to provide intervention support from specialized providers (psychologists, speech-language pathologists, learning specialists, English language) outside of regular school hours and at parents’ expense. ASB can assist parents in locating appropriate services, but does Family Handbook 2015-2016 23 not accept responsibility for the quality or efficacy of such services. It is the responsibility of parents to check references and closely monitor their child’s progress.
English Language Learners (ELL), Spanish Language Learners (SLL): In ECC, Elementary, Middle and High school, ASB provides support for English (ELL) and Spanish (SLL) learners. Parents are encouraged to model a positive attitude towards language learning and provide their children with opportunities for practice that go beyond completing homework in the target language.
STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS AT ASB
ASB is constantly looking for ways to improve student learning. The use of data, collected through classroom, grade level and standardized assessments, is essential for teachers to program to meet the needs of students. Listed below you will find descriptions of the primary standardized tests we use and an internal assessment used in our Elementary School.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP): We use a computer-based assessment for students called MAP. This adaptive assessment differentiates by question to determine the appropriate instructional level for each student in grades three to eight for Reading, Language Usage and Mathematics. Students complete the assessment during three class periods over a period of three weeks. Results assist teachers in programming for students. Our first assessment period will be in October. Please support us by ensuring that your child has a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and encouraging your child to always do his/her best.
International School Assessment (ISA): The International School Assessment is used by hundreds of International Schools to determine school trends and individual school growth and achievement from 3rd to 9th grades. Students are assessed on Reading, Writing, and Mathematical Literacy over a two day period, including an opportunity to write two authentic pieces. Results include comparisons to “like” schools, or schools with a similar percentage of first language English students, and other participating International Schools, which help ASB determine areas for growth as a school. The assessment is held on 3 days in February. Please support us by ensuring that your child has a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and encouraging your child to always do his/her best.
PSAT: The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test is given at the school in October to all 10th graders and is optional for 11th graders. The results of this exam help to evaluate the level of English comprehension and Math skills as compared to students in the United States. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT I.
Benchmark Reading Assessments: The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark reading assessments, given three to five times a year in grades K5 to 8, help teachers ensure that students become successful, independent readers. The assessment measures accuracy, fluency and 24 Family Handbook 2015-2016 comprehension. These assessments help our educators identify students’ reading achievement through systematic observation, recording, and evaluation of performance. By analyzing the assessment results, teachers can tailor reading instruction by providing critical intervention where need.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How are students grouped in classes? We believe students benefit from having the opportunity to relate to different groups rather than remaining with the same basic group year after year and therefore we encourage mixing of groups each school year. Class lists will be reviewed yearly and revised as needed according to teachers’ and principals’ recommendations. Classes are formed into heterogeneous groups using the following criteria: – an even balance of boys and girls – an equal number of students in each class – a full range of aptitudes in each class – an even proportion of abilities and learning styles across the class – an even proportion of children with English language proficiency Factors such as physical, emotional and learning development, language skills, previous school records and teacher recommendations will also be considered. At the end of June, grade level teachers collaborate in compiling the class lists for the next school year. Due to the complexity of the process, we ask parents to refrain from making personal requests about class placement. Changes are also discouraged and it is unlikely that any change will be accepted. All final decisions on class placement reside with the school.
Can my child’s friend or relative visit the school during the day? Former ASB students who would like to visit are welcome for part of a day if arrangements are made at least three days in advance with the appropriate division leader, pending approval. On occasion, we have prospective students, or students accepted for the following year, sit in on classes. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate friends of students visiting during the school day.
What do I do if my child loses his or her belongings? The child should check the lost and found located in the main building below the library with the appropriate division secretary about lost items. Any lost items should be turned into the secretary of each division where they may be reclaimed. Remember to clearly mark all clothing and belongings with your child’s name. All unclaimed clothing is donated to charitable organizations three times per year. Family Handbook 2015-2016 25
Our family is moving to another city. How do we withdraw our child and request transcripts? If a family changes plans and wishes to withdraw a child from ASB, we ask parents to complete an exit form and submit it to the business office with a copy to the Division Principal. This process allows the school to better process any necessary documents. The exit form can be obtained from the Business Office. You may also be asked to have an Exit meeting with the Director. Please allow at least two weeks for processing records before the transfer. Keep in mind that teachers will not fill in transcripts, recommendation letters nor hand out any other documents until the principal and business staff inform them that the withdrawal process has been officially requested by the family.
STUDENT AND PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS
Expectations for Student Behavior
The overall expectation for behavior at ASB is for students to be respectful of others, respectful of themselves, and respectful of the learning environment. We also expect students to set high standards of academic performance and to take pride in their achievements and in the achievements of others.
In addition, students should bear in mind the following rules and expectations: • Come to school properly attired with clothes and accessories that do not distract or offend others. • Electronic gaming devices are prohibited on campus. • For High School students only, phones, IPods or MP3 players may be used for music or messaging during the morning break or lunch times in designated areas. With teacher approval, students may listen to music during class times. Misuse of electronic devices will result in the devices being confiscated and returned at a later date. • Secondary students should place phones on airplane mode and store them in lockers or backpacks during class time. Phones can only be used during class for academic purposes with teacher authorization. • Elementary and ECC students may not use phones at any time during the school day. • No gum chewing is allowed. • The use of skateboards on campus is prohibited.
Expectations of Parents
Parents play a vital role in student life and in the ASB community. The following are considered to be parental responsibilities: • Wear the school ID badge inside the school campus and abide school pick up, drop off and tardy policies. • Avoid your child’s absence from school for extended vacations and appointments, especially during the High School final exams in December and June. 26 Family Handbook 2015-2016
• Be sure your child is properly dressed at school and at school functions. • Notify the school of any health, social-emotional learning problems that may affect your child’s education. • Ensure that report cards, progress reports, and permission slips are signed and returned to school when requested. • Cooperate with the school administration and teachers. • Discuss proper treatment of peers and school property with your child. Parents are financially liable for damage to the school and/or personal property caused by their child. • Pay attention to the rules regarding visitors, access to the ASB campus and respect and follow the instructions given by the security guard.
Adults in the ASB community are expected to model respectful behavior toward each other. If it comes to the attention of the Director that a parent is being disrespectful or not paying attention to communication norms, the Director may arrange a meeting with the parent or write a letter to the family regarding the situation. If communication procedures are not respected on a repeated basis, the Director may prohibit the parent from entering the ASB campus for an extended or even indefinite period of time. Family Handbook 2015-2016 27
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
WELCOME TO THE 2015-16 EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER SCHOOL YEAR
We would like to welcome you to the Early Childhood Center (ECC). Becoming part of a new school, or returning to school, is an important event in the lives of young children and their families.
We are pleased to count your family among the ASB community, and thank you for entrusting us as your partners in supporting the development and education of your child. We believe that an important part of the process is good communication and clear information. This section includes an outline of the ECC educational program and a guide regarding policy and operation of our center. Because we feel that it is so important that parents be informed, we would like to ask you to read this section carefully. Once read, we suggest you keep it as a reference throughout the school year.
We believe that raising happy, well-adjusted and successful children is a team effort, accomplished as a result of collaboration between the parents and the school. We look forward to sharing this responsibility with you.
Sincerely,
Christina Torrengo Early Childhood Principal 28 Family Handbook 2015-2016
ECC OVERVIEW
ASB’s Early Childhood Center provides children ages 3 through 5 with a comprehensive, hands- on educational experience that supports cognitive, social/emotional, language/communication & physical (gross/fine motor) development. Concepts and skills are taught through an integration of language arts, math, science, physical education, social and fine arts activities. Exposure to many social, sensory motor, artistic and pre-academic activities ensures strong foundations during the early stages of development.
Our students are immersed in an international community, which offers a diverse linguistic and cultural experience. Since many children are non-native English speakers, most of the activities focus upon increasing English vocabulary and use. This is accomplished by providing a stimulating and dynamic environment. Children are encouraged to explore and “practice” language and communication skills, with a wide range of developmentally appropriate materials and activities. Native English speakers benefit from the language rich environment and curriculum, which help to expand their English skills and vocabulary. These students have an opportunity to learn and/ or improve their Spanish, at the same time. ECC emphasizes the following values: engagement, creativity, autonomy, discovery, critical thinking, problem solving, and FUN.
The Early Childhood Center Structure The ECC is made up of dedicated educators whose primary goal is to ensure a safe, stimulating and interesting environment for children to explore and grow. The ECC staffing structure is made up of the following members:
ECC Supervisor: Early Childhood Center Principal
ECC Instructional Staff: (Homeroom classrooms) 2 PK3 Head Preschool Teachers and 2 Teacher Assistants 2 PK4 Head Preschool Teachers and 2 Teacher Assistants 2 Kindergarten Teachers and 2 Teacher Assistants
Specialist Instructional Staff:
Kindergarten Spanish Music and Movement
Physical Education School Librarian
Art Kindergarten English Language Learning (ELL)
Support Staff:
School Counselor Pre-K Learning Support ELL Consultant Family Handbook 2015-2016 29
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Curriculum: Our comprehensive-hands-on curriculum is based on American and international standards and offers children the opportunity to learn through a variety of activities. We understand that not all students learn in the same way. Therefore we teach through a balance of teacher and child directed activities, often integrating specific skills into theme or project based units. This allows us to attend to the individual differences, interests, developmental stages, and growth needs of the young children in the ECC. In every class, there is an emphasis on adaptive and social/emotional skills, since it is important to help children develop the appropriate behaviors needed for years to come, both in and out of school, with peers, teachers, and their families. We feel that children should be excited about coming to school, learn to feel comfortable and understand their role within a group, and develop socialization skills, which will allow them to become more independent and confident about themselves. Learning to express one’s needs and ideas, make friends, solve problems, resolve conflicts, follow instructions, as well as participate in academic activities are all important for a child of any age to be successful in school and in life.
The 3-year-old program focuses on social/adaptive behaviors: belonging to a community, language development (stories, songs, poems, vocabulary), cognitive and motor skills. Activities include outdoor play, movement and music exploration, dramatic play, language expression and communication, story sharing, use of manipulative toys such as puzzles and blocks, and creative expression through exposure to a wide variety of materials and art activities.
The 4-year-old program builds upon the social/adaptive and other skills, with increased expectations for children to become more independent and able to work within a group. They enjoy a greater variety of experiences with a focus on fine motor activities such as cutting, drawing, painting and other pre-writing activities. Children are more able to concentrate, remember, as well as recognize and organize materials in a variety of ways, working on patterns and sequences, which are helpful pre-reading/writing skills. Four-year-olds are also developing basic number concepts and problem-solving skills. A more in-depth study is begun on topics of interest to children and teacher. These studies serve as the vehicle for practicing many skills especially language-cognitive development: listening/comprehension and speaking/ verbal expression, and vary from year to year. Children of this age engage in elaborate dramatic play, taking on roles and acting out familiar scenarios. These skills help them to form symbolic and abstract thinking skills, as well as giving them the opportunity to work on negotiation skills and develop their self-concept.
In the 5-year-old program, children combine ideas into more complex relationships, have a growing cognitive capacity; continue to develop more language/communication, fine and gross motor skills, and math and science skills. Their adaptive and social skills allow them to function better both within groups as well as independently. They are becoming better at negotiating solutions with peers and collaborate more in play and on projects.
For 5 year olds, formalized Language arts instruction is provided through the Readers Writers Workshop. This is a unique approach which introduces beginning reading and writing 30 Family Handbook 2015-2016 skills. Kindergarten follows the Common Core Language Arts standards. Children at this age learn letters, high frequency words, sounds and easy word recognition, rhyming, poetry and literature, while promoting print-rich activities in the environment. In addition, teachers utilize reading benchmarks to determine student’s individual reading levels enabling teachers to gear instruction to individual reading levels. Teachers lead “guided reading” groups to improve students’ reading fluency. All of this helps to stimulate the development of language and literacy skills in meaningful contexts.
Math has a set of expectations following the Kindergarten Common Core Math Standards where students work on the different domains through many hands on, inquiry based tasks. Skills in social studies and science are often developed in an integrated way (Formative assessments: through large group activities, small group activities, teacher center and/or project work), to ensure that children have the overall and specific skills necessary for a successful transition into 1st grade.
K5 English Language Learning (ELL): Extra English language support is provided to those students who have limited English understanding. All K5 students receive clear, consistent exposure to English through daily instruction. Added ELL support allows ELL students to acquire the language (listening, speaking, reading) with more confidence, respecting their pace of development and ensuring that they reach a level of independence, in English, where they feel comfortable when engaging with peers, capable to understand what is being learned in class and accomplish given tasks with less teacher support. ELL will be offered to those students who need this extra support during the K5 Spanish classes until they are able to demonstrate basic understanding in English. We prioritize ELL before Spanish since English is the vehicular, instructional language of our school following an English based American- International curriculum. Once students demonstrate progress they will begin participating in Spanish classes.
Spanish in Kindergarten: The 5-year-old students begin to receive Spanish instruction 3 times per week. Spanish speaking students are developing their Spanish listening, speaking and reading skills, working towards mastery while the non-Spanish speakers have the opportunity to learn a new language through the many hands-on activities and exposure of stories and songs. Those students who enter K5 with limited English knowledge will take extra ELL which may coincide during Spanish classes.
Tech in Kindergarten: With computers being utilized by students in Elementary School as well as Middle and High School, a basic and structured introduction to technology at the pre- Kindergarten/Kindergarten level provides students a basis of understanding for further learning. Kindergarten students work with tablets (iPads) and are used for interactive activities where students and teachers work together and use educational content to create a fun and exciting learning environment. iPads are embedded during center time and other small-group experiences where teachers are supervising its usage. The ultimate goal is to enhance learning and help the child be better prepared for the transition to Elementary School. Family Handbook 2015-2016 31
Library: All ECC students will receive, apart from regular classroom activities, weekly library visits which offer children an additional opportunity to interact with books, and develop many literacy/language and cognitive skills. Since many of our students are English language learners, it is particularly important that sufficient time and effort be given to language acquisition.
Movement and music experiences are provided weekly for all children. Coordination, balance, body-in-space, rhythm, and music experiences allow children to gain confidence and control over their bodies, which is important to the total development of the child. To further this development, the 4 and 5-year-olds participate in swimming classes one afternoon a week and physical education (PE) classes once per week. (See swimming section).
The Art Teacher visits classrooms and introduces art skills that can be carried out as a part of the regular classroom art activities. K5 students have art in the art room once per week and continue to have opportunities daily to express themselves through art.
REPORT CARDS
The Early Childhood Center’s comprehensive program is reflected in our Report Card distributed two times a year, in December and June. The Report Card identifies representative skills and concepts, which are developmentally appropriate and sequential, building each year upon the previous year’s work. Teachers perform a variety of formative assessments, ranging from daily observations to end of Unit checkups which closely monitor student development, understanding, consistency and growth. It is important to ensure firm foundations in the early years in order for later student success.
The Progress Reports, distributed in the spring, provide a brief overview of your child´s strengths and “next steps” in the different areas of development.
ASB ECC Reporting System: Descriptors on Report card
Area of Need (AN): Child’s development and learning is not yet observed. No understanding of the concept or skill is seen. Even with teacher assistance, understanding is not seen.
Beginning (BE): Child’s development and learning requires individual teacher assistance to support his or her development and learning. It is common for children to be at this stage at the beginning of the school year.
Developing (DV): Child’s development and learning is within the range of expectations for their age at this time. The student shows some understanding. However, errors or misunderstandings still occur. Reminders, hints and suggestions are incorporated with understanding. 32 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Meets expectations (ME): Child’s development and learning has reached grade level expectations. The student consistently applies the skill or concept correctly.
First semester reporting consists mostly of Developing and/or Beginning to understand the learning that is taking place in class. Children are working towards mastery of skills (ME is mastery of a skill 80% of the time independently) Teachers report current development and growth supported by clear evidence. Parents should use the information from the Report Card as a guide to increase their understanding of what concepts/skills children are practicing and learning during the year, as well as how their child is progressing in their developmental process. They should also be alert, if teachers indicate a need for extra attention or concerns about skill acquisition. If parents have any questions, they should contact their child’s teacher immediately.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Several students in ECC benefit from extra support services. Since children mature at different rates, it is often difficult to determine if a child needs more time to mature, or if there may be learning difficulties. When a child demonstrates difficulties, the school will contact the Student Support Team and the parents to explore options to support the student. These options may include extra support, tutoring, additional work with the family, and in-school and/or outside testing. The testing may lead to recommendations such as speech therapy, play therapy, or other interventions.
Parents are responsible in collaborating closely with school, especially when school requests outside testing, documentation and support from specific specialists. In order for the Learning Support department to create an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for a student, the school may require test results and other official diagnosis to be shared with the classroom teacher and Learning Support team.
Students who have special needs in the areas of learning differences and/or emotional challenges, may be required to receive specialized learning support in order to meet the academic demands of ASB. When necessary for academic success, parents are responsible in providing intervention support from specialized providers (psychologists, speech-language pathologists, learning specialists, occupational therapists, etc.) during or outside of regular school hours and at their own expense. There are cases when the school requires a shadow/paraprofessional, a few hours or all day, to assist in the student’s educational development. If this were to occur, parents will be responsible for providing and paying this service.
These specialists carry out observations over time, create action plans if necessary, provide support to the classroom teacher and Principal, and meet with the parents. Request for outside consultation may also be made to the family. Family Handbook 2015-2016 33
ASB can assist parents in locating appropriate services, but does not accept responsibility for the quality or efficacy of such services. It is the responsibility of the student’s parents to check references, when appropriate, and closely monitor their child’s progress. All providers operate independently and are not affiliated in any way with ASB. ASB does not accept responsibility for their credentials, intervention techniques, results or fee.
In a small percentage of cases, we need to consider if promotion is the best decision for an early childhood student. Sometimes students are young or socially-emotionally-academically immature. Some ECC students benefit in repeating an academic year in the same class. There are many variables to be considered before a student is retained and careful observation is necessary. The teacher will discuss the child’s progress with the ECC Principal and parents. If necessary, the Learning Support Coordinator and/or other specialist will be called in by the teacher and ECC Principal.
If, after this team review (family, teacher, ECC Principal, and Learning Support Coordinator), it is determined that the child does not demonstrate the ability, meaning, has not met the minimum academic requirements, the English language requirements are not reached, or maturity to move to the next level, a recommendation is made to the family that the child be given another year at the same grade level to allow for maturation and skill development. We feel that this is best done early in a child’s education, whenever possible, to allow the child the opportunity to develop and achieve greater success in the future. The school reserves the right to make the final decision about the most appropriate class placement for a child.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the English language expectations at ASB? It is a goal of ASB to speak and expose children to the maximum amount of English possible throughout the day. Although most of the ECC teachers are bilingual (English/Spanish), we use English from the first day as the primary language of instruction and interaction. Obviously, we understand in ECC that there are children who begin the year with little or no English. We have found that, although children who are beginning language learners may not always speak to us in English at first, they understand basic things (daily instructions, songs, rhymes, stories) very quickly and feel comfortable in an English environment. This also holds true for most children who come into our center speaking limited English, Spanish or Catalan.
Teachers use many strategies to increase student understanding such as modeling, gesturing, or the use of photos. While students are processing information in class or in distress, they can use their home language. We want to encourage English while ensuring that children feel comfortable as well as that their home language is celebrated.
If children are at lunch, recess, or in the hallway, they may use the language of their choice. We also expect our students to limit their English use in Spanish and Catalan classes. 34 Family Handbook 2015-2016
What should my child wear to school and bring to school? Clothing: We like to have fun both in and out of the classroom. Children will get dirty, so please keep that in mind as you choose clothing for your child, since generally smocks are not worn all day. It would be helpful to your child and his/her teacher, if you would have your child dress in clothes which are appropriate to his/her level of development. While we use washable paints and magic markers, and put smocks on the children for particularly messy activities, we do not recommend sending children to school in their best clothing.
Clothing should be comfortable for the child and facilitate his/her participation in school activities. For our three and four year old students, we recommend clothing free of belts, buckles, and suspenders as children need to be able to go to the bathroom independently. Label your child’s clothing so that in case of loss, we are better able to help you recuperate the item. On rainy days, students may want to wear rubber boots to school. In that case, parents should send another pair of shoes that can be worn inside the classroom on these days. All children should bring an extra set of clothing to be left at school in case of an “accident”. These clothes should also be labeled with the child´s full name. Extra clothing should include: a shirt, underwear, pants, socks and shoes, or other seasonally appropriate clothing.
ASB Track Suits: All ECC students will be required to wear the ASB track suit on all field trips and school outings. This includes swimming day for PK4 and K5 students. It is recommended that PK4 and K5 students wear their tracksuits on days that they have physical education classes. It is recommended that PK3 students wear their track suit on days that they have music and movement class.
Please label your child’s track suit with their full name, so teachers can easily distinguish who they belong to.
Student Backpack: Backpacks with wheels are not permitted in ECC. As young children, they find these backpacks difficult to manage and they can cause accidents among our students. Storage is also a problem. Backpacks should be brought to school daily and checked regularly for announcements, teacher notes, and work that your child has completed. To encourage responsibility and independence, your child should carry his/her own backpack by him/herself. Each child should have a backpack clearly marked with his/her name and class.
Will my child attend any field trips throughout the school year? How are we notified? Field Trips: During the school year, ECC classes will go on various field trips. We ask parents to sign a field trip permission slip in September, which we keep on file, for all field trips taken during the school year. Parents will be notified prior to the different excursions and may be asked to volunteer as chaperones.
Most of our field trips require a maximum of 4 chaperones. There may be some exceptions when more help is needed, especially when visiting a place where more vigilance is necessary. Teachers Family Handbook 2015-2016 35 will inform parents prior to the trip the exact number of helpers that will be needed. A waiting list will be created in case there is more demand for a specific outing. Chaperones will be responsible in following teacher instructional activities and safety norms. They are responsible for supervising their assigned group of children once they leave school grounds. School norms and regulations are applied throughout the field trip. We encourage parents to enjoy and participate in school trips. Teachers appreciate their collaboration.
Can my child celebrate his/her birthday during school hours? Birthdays: We are more than happy to help your child celebrate his/her birthday at school with his/her teacher and classmates. However, in order to celebrate birthdays at school, we do ask that parents discuss birthday party plans with the classroom teacher at least a week in advance.
If you would like to give party favors, please consider a small toy, pencil, bubbles or other small prize instead of candy. These supplies should be brought to school at 9:00 in the morning, and left with your child’s teacher. Schedule changes sometimes occur during the day, which might affect the time of the birthday party.
If parents are planning to celebrate their child’s birthday after school with his/her classmates, we will be more than happy to pass out invitations to all of the children in the class. If parents are planning a smaller party with only a few classmates, then they will need to make these arrangements outside of school. For after-school parties, please notify the classroom teacher ahead of time. We need to know: 1) the names of the children you will be collecting, 2) what time they will be collected, and 3) where they will be collected. Likewise, if your child is attending a classmate’s birthday party after school and will be collected by someone other than the person who regularly picks him/her up, parents must notify the teacher in writing. Many children take the school bus home, and if the teacher is not aware that a child will be attending an after-school activity, the child will go home on the school bus as usual.
Can my child bring toys to school? Personal toys from home stay home! No toys or cell phones should be brought to school, since toys are a distraction and may be broken or lost. We also feel that children have ample time to play with their toys at home and should be engaged and focused upon other materials and activities at school. Toys that are brought to school may be confiscated by teachers.
Do I have to prepare a snack for my child? Snacks: Please send a healthy morning snack with your child. We recommend that you send: fruit, yogurt, crackers with cheese, plain cookies, dry cereal, small sandwiches, muffins or rolls, juice or milk. No candy, gum, nuts or seeds are allowed at school. Because we eat lunch at 11:45 AM, the morning snack should be light. The school provides all ECC students with an afternoon snack between 2:00-3:00 PM. 36 Family Handbook 2015-2016
We especially request no nuts or nut products be brought to school. We have children with allergies to these foods.
What is the swimming program and how does it run? Swimming program: Swimming classes are scheduled for our 4 and 5-year-old students as part of our physical education program and are obligatory. Children become more confident in the water, learn to be more independent in dressing, and enjoy the physical and social aspects of this program. The children ride a bus to the municipal pool (La Plana) in Esplugues de Llobregat for their classes.
The classroom teachers/assistants will accompany classes to the pool and supervise them in the dressing rooms. If needed, we will recruit swimming pool volunteers to assist students in the dressing rooms. All parents who are interested in helping will meet with the ECC Principal & PE coach prior to the 1st swimming class to ensure that there is an understanding of how the parent can be most helpful. Volunteers will be assigned to help with a class other than their own child’s group, to ensure independence in dressing. You can greatly help your child by encouraging independent dressing at home, as children dress and undress themselves for swimming.
Swimming is a structured program in which the swimming instructors group the children according to swimming levels. If you are a new family and have a child entering PK4/K5, please notify your child’s classroom teacher whether your child knows how to swim or has no swimming skills. It is important that children participate on a consistent basis in swimming if progress is to be made. Children who frequently miss swimming class sometimes find it difficult to follow the routine in the pool in the dressing rooms and have unnecessary fears due to lack of familiarity. This can be frustrating for everyone. If a child misses more than 3 months of class, the monitors will not be able to evaluate your child correctly. At the end of the school year, the swimming instructors pass out swimming participation medals, a reflection of effort and involvement, and report cards to the children.
Swimming is an integral part of our ECC curriculum. It is a life skill included in the school’s Physical Education program. All PK4 and K5 children are required to attend. Those students who are unable to participate, because of a long-term medical condition, must bring a signed medical statement to that effect and discuss it with the ECC Principal. Other students that are unable to attend swimming class due to illness should send a note to the teacher. For both long-term and day absences, children must be picked up before students go to the pool. PK4 & K5 swimming happens during the afternoon. Students who can’t attend class will be picked up at 1:00 PM.
In other cases, such as forgetting to send the swimming gear on swim day, teachers will call you to remind you of what gear is missing so you can send it to school before they depart to the pool. If it is impossible to send the swimming gear, ECC will provide spare swim items such as bathing suits or caps. Family Handbook 2015-2016 37
A detailed list of swimming instructions and equipment will be sent home to parents early in the new school year. Teachers will mention swimming during the Open house/back to school night in September. We suggest that parents routinely check swim gear to make sure that all items are in good working order.
All swim gear must be labeled with your child’s name and class. Swimming classes usually begin in October. The school tracksuit, distributed at the beginning of school year, should be worn on swimming days.
Your child should bring swimming items to school in a separate backpack that can be easily carried on the back. Backpacks should not have wheels, and should be comfortable for children to wear getting on and off the bus. PLEASE LABEL these bags.
What is the Hand in Hand Program? How do I participate in it? Hand in Hand Program: A transition into school is a new beginning, and an appropriate time for commencing a partnership with families, children, teachers and all the school community. A variety of studies confirm that parent involvement in school makes an enormous impact on student’s attitude, social skills, attendance, and academic achievement. Evidence shows that when there is a strong connection between families and school, student achievement increases thus helping them succeed in school and in their future.
The Early Childhood Center strongly believes in such partnership and is always looking for ways to increase and support effective home-school collaboration. We are aware that many parents have work commitments and time constraints impeding them to contribute their expertise and/ or hobbies to our students, but when teachers plan in advance and communication is frequent and positive, everyone finds time to participate in their child’s educational process. In order to invite and enhance parent participation, the Early Childhood Center has created a community partnership program called Hand in Hand.
This is an opportunity for families, children and teachers to work together and learn from each other. This is a way for parents to be involved in classroom activities, to enjoy and understand their child’s learning progress and how to work with their child at home.
The ECC teachers will provide information with clear parent instructions and expectations on how to collaborate best in their child’s classroom. Please see them for any other clarifications about this program.
The ECC teachers are very excited and hope to see the majority, and if possible all, of the ECC parents participate in the Hand in Hand program. Parents are asked to indicate in a form given to them in the beginning of the school year in which area(s) they are willing to support the learning process of their children. This information will help teachers when planning themes and other projects throughout the school year. 38 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Parent involvement is essential in order for this program to become successful and beneficial to all the ECC community. Success in the Early Childhood Center in terms of social, emotional and academic competence is predictive of later school success. We are a team willing to work and improve together.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS IN THE ECC
Young students’ misbehaviors are seen as a process of growing up and treated as educational opportunities. Children at this age are developing socially and emotionally and may become more physical during peer interactions and teachers. Children are learning how to verbalize their feelings: wants and needs rather than using force. Being safe towards oneself and others is our primary goal. Adults provide guidance, assist students through negotiations and discuss alternatives to their behavior. If a student continually makes the same mistake, the teacher will meet with the parents to inform such concerns. If inappropriate behavior is a continual problem, the teacher will request input from the school’s counselor and special needs teacher about such issues. In such cases, individualized behavior plans are implemented and assessed for effectiveness.
At times it is necessary to make team decisions and plans for behavior management. In such cases, the teacher will ask to meet with parents, the ECC Principal, school counselor, Learning Support teacher, and any additional adults involved with the student, so that an adequate plan can be put in place that will help the student be successful both at home and in school.
Sometimes students need quiet time to reflect on their behavior, calm down, or contemplate their feelings. All classrooms have a quiet place where students can be by themselves, called the “cozy corner”. Some classrooms have a time out or thinking chair for students to sit quietly while they reflect.
When a child is being aggressive or overly disruptive, students may need to be removed, or remove themselves, from the situation. In many cases, there may be consequences to destructive or aggressive behavior, such as needing to draw a picture or “write” an apology letter, sitting out for a period of time, or having to repair items that are damaged.
Parents will be notified when behavioral issues are repeatedly happening. If a pattern of disruptive behavioral issues affect a child’s and class´s academic performance, the school may require outside services/a shadow (assistant) to assist the student throughout the day. If this were to occur, parents will be responsible for providing this service at their own expense. In special cases the school director may send a discipline referral to parents. If these behaviors continue to endanger the child’s own safety as well as the safety of others, the school reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the child’s continuity in ASB. Parents are responsible for closely monitoring their child’s behavioral progress, ensuring that behavioral plans are being followed, and attending meetings when requested by the school. Family Handbook 2015-2016 39
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WELCOME TO THE 2015-2016 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEAR
We would like to welcome you to the Elementary School. We look forward to collaborating with your family as a part of the ASB community.
Our goal is to partner with parents to inspire curious minds and promote a joy of learning in each child. As you read through this section of the handbook you will see that we strive to meet the needs of all students by providing support, structure and clear expectations for children.
Our staff is dedicated to cultivating the unique potential in each child, empowering them to become active, compassionate global citizens. We believe that in order to accomplish this, parent collaboration and communication is important. Please read this section carefully and we suggest you keep it as a reference throughout the school year. We look forward to working with you and your children at ASB this year!
Sincerely,
Johanna Cena Elementary Principal 40 Family Handbook 2015-2016
THE ELEMENTARY TEACHING STRUCTURE
Elementary School Supervisor Elementary Principal
Homeroom Teachers and Assistants 2 First Grade Teachers and 2 Assistants 2 Second Grade Teachers and 2 Assistants 2 Third Grade Teachers and 1 Assistant 3 Fourth Grade Teachers 3 Fifth Grade Teachers
Specialist Teachers 2 Learning Support Teachers 3 English Learner Teachers 3 Spanish Language Teachers 2 Spanish Teachers 2 Catalan Teachers 1 Art Teacher 2 Music Teachers 2 Physical Education Teachers
Support Services
English Learning Language Support Learning
Librarian Guidance and Library Counselor Assistant
Literacy Tech Coach Integrator
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Elementary Overview: Our caring, professional, and collaborative staff teach a progressive, American, international standards-based curriculum. We help children achieve their personal and academic best through varied learning activities and interdisciplinary projects. We believe in the uniqueness of each individual, therefore we provide a program of studies that encourages differentiation and meeting students at their academic level and teaching them to reach their highest potential. We are proud of our international community and the richness of our cultural Family Handbook 2015-2016 41 and linguistic differences. Our comprehensive academic programs inspire curious minds and promote a joy of learning, allowing children to reach their highest potential.
Curriculum: Our curriculum includes English, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, Catalan, Technology, Art, Music, Library, and Physical Education. Reading, writing, and math instruction is aligned with the Common Core standards from the United States. Each class period is 55 minutes long. Below is a breakdown of approximately how many class periods children have in each content area.
Class Periods per week Reading 5-6 Writing 5-6 Math 5-6 Science 2-3 Spanish 4 Catalan 2 Sociales 2 Physical 2 Education Music 1 Library 1 Art 1
Reading and Writing: Our balanced approach to reading and writing begins with a readers’ and writers´ workshop model which comes from Columbia University’s Teachers College. The workshop approach begins with a specific mini lesson and then allows students time to deeply engage in reading books or writing at their independent level while the classroom teacher focuses on small group instruction and one-on-one conferencing with students. Through detailed assessments and conferencing with students, teachers are able to help each student to become a more skilled reader and writer. In the workshop model, resources such as classroom libraries, guided reading books and online reading resources are used in harmony with interactive teacher “read-alouds”, shared reading and writing, word study, and guided reading lessons to help students develop their reading and writing skills. Our goal is for students to become independent and avid readers and writers.
Math: The math program encourages students to make real world connections which not only teach and reinforce math concepts but also demonstrate the importance of math in everyday life. Our math program is called Engage New York and follows the American Common Core Standards. At ASB we ensure that students have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and multiple strategies for problem solving. Students are encouraged to explain their thinking and share their 42 Family Handbook 2015-2016 process when finding the solution to a problem. Students will have weekly math homework and will have access to online math practice resources.
Science: Elementary students in each grade build their knowledge in the areas of life science, earth science, and physical science. Students use inquiry skills to learn to observe, try out their ideas and explain their findings following the scientific method. We are following the Next Generation Science Standards which teach kids to be inquirers and to incorporate engineering, science and technology in the way they think about the world around them.
Spanish and Catalan: All students receive 5 classes of Spanish or 2 double period blocks and 2-3 periods of Catalan per week, which includes 1 -2 periods of sociales. Students develop the literacy skills necessary for effective oral and written communication in Spanish and Catalan. There is an emphasis in reading as teachers help students with fluency and comprehension. Students are also given many opportunities to use the language in hands-on-situations through the use of role plays, oral presentations and drama.
English Language Learning (ELL): ELL support services are provided for students whose first language is not English. Students learn the social and academic language that will enable them to fully participate in their mainstream classrooms. ELL teachers teach whole class lessons to support the Common Core Language Standards as well as provide intensive language classes for students who are new to English. ELL teachers work closely with their students in the classroom or in small groups outside the classroom to support listening, speaking, reading, and writing needs.
Spanish Language Learning: (SLL) Spanish Language Learners (SLL) Support is provided for students whose first language is not Spanish. Students receive SLL classes during the Spanish and Catalan times in the schedule. Lessons are taught in separate small classrooms. Children learn the social and academic language that will enable them to fully participate in school life.
Physical Education: Students take part in physical education (PE) classes unless they have a medical reason for being unable to participate. Students must wear appropriate clothing for their PE classes. This consists of a school T-shirt, athletic shorts and training shoes in warm weather and the ASB track suit in cold weather. Use of the school sportswear is required.
The Library: Our library is open to Elementary students from 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM. We believe that the acquisition of good reading habits is essential to a child’s academic growth. Every class has a scheduled time to visit the library and check out books. The media specialist will also support students and teachers for research skills and projects. Please remember that no food or drinks are permitted in the library area. Students are responsible for the books they check out, and for returning them on time and in good condition. Damaged or lost books must be paid for or replaced. If the book has not been returned to the library or the replacement fee paid by the last day of school, this fee will be charged to your school account. Family Handbook 2015-2016 43
Art: The Elementary Art Program´s focus is on art production, aesthetics, art criticism and art history. A sequential curriculum is followed. All students participate in art class. Students are requested to bring in a smock or an old shirt to protect their clothing from possible damage. The school does not provide smocks. These smocks are kept at school and will be sent home to be washed periodically. All smocks should be marked with the student’s name.
Technology: Students are encouraged to use technology as a learning tool. Responsible behavior on the school’s computer network is expected. Before using the school’s computer system students and parents must read our Acceptable Use Policy (see Appendix VI).
Each classroom has access to laptop carts and laptops are used in all content areas as part of our integrated curriculum. Our Elementary School also has 3 carts on wheels (COW) with 20 laptop computers for classroom use. Additional computers are also located in the Library and may be used by Elementary students before school and during lunch and recess times. In grades 1-3 we have a 1:2 ipad ratio, so there is 1 ipad for every 2 students. In grades 4 and 5 students will have access to a group of 5 iPads in each classroom as well as the laptop carts.
Learning Support Services: We believe that students with a variety of learning profiles can be successful when instruction is tailored to address their academic strengths and struggles. Students who have learning differences or difficulties are as intelligent as their peers but may struggle in academic subjects if taught in conventional ways. These students may require modifications, differentiated instruction, or support and intervention from a learning specialist. Learning support teachers may offer small group instruction or in-class support in reading, writing, and math. The learning support teachers implement research based reading interventions in small groups for struggling readers.
When a child demonstrates difficulties, the school will contact the Student Support Team and the parents to explore options to support the student. These options may include pull out small group instruction, support in the classroom, tutoring, and in-school and/or outside testing. It is important that parents collaborate closely with school, especially when school requests outside testing, documentation and support from specific specialists. In order for the Learning Support department to create an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for a student, the school may require test results and other official diagnosis to be shared with the classroom teacher and Learning Support team.
Students who have special needs in the areas of learning differences and/or emotional challenges, may be required to receive specialized learning support in order to meet the academic demands of ASB. When necessary for academic success, parents are responsible in providing intervention support from specialized providers (psychologists, speech-language pathologists, learning specialists, occupational therapists, etc.) during or outside of regular school hours and at their own expense. There are cases when the school requires a shadow/paraprofessional, a few hours or all day, to assist in the student’s educational development. If this were to occur, parents will be responsible for providing and paying this service. 44 Family Handbook 2015-2016
ASB can assist parents in locating appropriate services, but does not accept responsibility for the quality or efficacy of such services. It is the responsibility of the student’s parents to check references, when appropriate, and closely monitor their child’s progress. All providers operate independently and are not affiliated in any way with ASB. ASB does not accept responsibility for their credentials, intervention techniques, results or fee.
Our learning support teachers provide specialized support in order to reach students’ academic and social potential. We believe that students with a variety of learning profiles can be successful when instruction is tailored to address their academic strengths and struggles. Students who have learning differences or difficulties are as intelligent as their peers but may struggle in academic subjects if taught in conventional ways. These students may require modifications, differentiated instruction, or support and intervention from a learning specialist. Learning support teachers may offer small group instruction or in-class support in reading, writing, and math. The learning support teachers implement research based reading interventions in small groups for struggling readers.
Curriculum Resources: Teaching materials are purchased from the United States, Spain and Great Britain and are reviewed and updated as needed to meet our program requirements. Our curriculum is monitored and regularly updated by staff, administration and visiting experts in order to provide consistent development of all academic skills. Courses are taught by well-qualified and experienced professional teachers.
Classroom studies are also complemented by several scheduled field trips and in-school performances and presentations throughout the year. In addition, an optional extra-curricular program of activities is available after school.
The Elementary School follows the International Baccalaureate learner profile and attributes which support the social and emotional learning of all students. Monthly Elementary assemblies, class discussions, visits from our school counselor, activities/projects, plays, stories, and articles supporting our themes are some of the ways that these programs are integrated into our daily curriculum throughout the year.
ELEMENTARY REPORTING SYSTEM
The elementary school uses a standards based reporting system based on the common core standards for reading, writing and math and other state and national standards for other courses. Students are graded on a 1 to 4 scale for academics and are also given a behavior and effort grade for each course. The students are given a behavior grade of excellent, good, fair or poor depending on their effort and behavior in the class. Family Handbook 2015-2016 45
Achievement levels 1-4 Generic Descriptors for a standard Scale
• Consistently demonstrates an in-depth understanding of grade level concepts, skills and processes taught in the reporting period and achievement exceeds grade level standards. Exemplary • Consistently demonstrates extensive knowledge and 4 understanding of content and concepts. • Communicates learning with a high degree of clarity and accuracy.
• Consistently demonstrates essential knowledge and understanding of grade level content, skills, processes and Proficient concepts taught in this reporting period. 3 • Frequently communicates learning with a considerable degree of clarity and accuracy.
• Student is beginning to develop an understanding of the standard • Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding of required Developing content and concepts. 2 • Occasionally communicates learning with clarity and accuracy. • Sometimes applies skills to familiar situations and creates satisfactory work.
• Demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding of grade level required content, skills and concepts. Limited or No evidence 1 • Achievement falls much below the grade level standards. • Skills are limited and creates work that needs improvement.
HOMEWORK POLICY
Homework Guidelines: Homework is work assigned for non-school hours designed to extend classroom learning and practice. At ASB, homework will usually be sent on a regular basis, and may include reading, writing, math and language tasks. Assignments will vary according to the following grade level GUIDELINES:
Level (by grade) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Time (in minutes) 15 20 30 40 50
If your child experiences unusual difficulty with the type or amount of homework given, please inform the homeroom teacher. In addition to the assigned tasks we encourage students to read from 15-20 minutes at home on a daily basis. 46 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Homework is assigned in order to: • reinforce skills taught during class, which could include language classes • build study habits and responsibility for future academic growth
Parental Assistance: Homework should not be completed by parents. However, parents can further support goals outlined above by:
1. ensuring that each child has a quiet place for study and necessary tools such as pencil, paper, dictionary; 2. asking child clarifying questions or questions that help child summarize what they have learned; 3. scheduling extracurricular activities in moderation, so that they do not interfere with the student’s homework.
Homework Notebook: Students will be given a Homework Notebook at the beginning of the year. It is the responsibility of each student to write homework assignments in this notebook. There is a space provided for parent’s signature and comments. Please check your child’s notebook daily for teacher comments and/or work assignments. Feel free to write questions or comments in the space provided. This is an excellent mode of communication between home and school.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
We expect our Elementary students to be safe, respectful and responsible with their teachers and peers at all times. We support children to make good decisions at school by teaching behavior expectations and providing clear consequences.
Within the first week of school each homeroom teacher establishes class expectations and consequences together with the students. Any major discipline issues will be referred to the Elementary principal who will determine, along with the teacher, the type of action to take depending on the severity of the incident.
Our three Elementary rules are: • be safe • be respectful • be responsible
Communicating with Parents about Student Behavior: We feel it is the responsibility of the student, teachers, school staff, and parents to work together to support students in making good decisions and choices. Parents’ support is necessary and appreciated to encourage children to observe school rules and procedures. Discipline referrals will be used to document behavioral problems which are deemed serious or for repeated incidences and will be sent home to keep parents informed. Students may also be asked to do a behavior reflection form to reflect on their behavior and establish a better plan of action in the future. These referrals Family Handbook 2015-2016 47 or reflections should be signed and returned to school. Any discipline referral is considered a serious violation of the school’s code of conduct. Receiving repeated discipline referrals will lead to more severe consequences.We classify student discipline incidents as minor or serious infractions.
Minor Infractions: Minor infractions such as those listed below are usually dealt with by teachers discussing the problematic behavior with the student and/or redirecting their behavior. The student may also be asked to complete a reflection form. The school may need to follow-up on recurring minor infractions by: • Calling a conference with the parents of the student • Having the student complete a reflection form • Requiring the student to perform community service during lunch recess • Issuing a discipline referral
The following are considered minor infractions: • Any minor disruption of the classroom learning or teaching environment • Breaking class rules and school norms • Disrespecting personal and other peer belongings • Throwing objects • Rough playing/displaying aggressive behaviors • Inappropriate use of electronic devices such as laptops and iPads • Disrespecting friends or property
Major Infractions: Any serious violation of class or school rules will be referred to the Elementary Principal who will determine, along with the teacher, the type of action most suitable depending on the severity of the incident. In addition, a meeting with parents and out-of-school suspension may also be required.
The following examples are considered serious infractions and will usually earn the student a discipline referral: • Physical, written, verbal or cyber disrespect towards a fellow student, a teacher, or staff member • Using inappropriate language or gestures • Damaging school or other property • Copying/cheating • Lying to a teacher or staff member • Stealing • Fighting • Behaving inappropriately on a field/class trip • Repeatedly disrupting classroom learning • Violation of technology rules 48 Family Handbook 2015-2016
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the English language expectations at ASB? It is a goal of ASB to speak and expose children to the maximum amount of English possible throughout the day. We understand that there are children who begin the year with little or no English. We have found that, although children who are beginning language learners may not always be able to speak English, they come with a rich academic foundation in their home language. Teachers use many strategies to increase student understanding such as modeling, gesturing, or the use of images, graphic organizers etc. While students are processing information in class or in distress, they can use their home language. We want to encourage English while ensuring that children feel comfortable as well as that their home language is celebrated.
If children are at lunch, recess, or the hallway, they may use the language of their choice. We also expect our students to limit their English use in Spanish and Catalan classes.
Are their student leadership opportunities at school? The Student Council is a vehicle for experiencing the democratic process through discussion of school related issues and the planning, organization, and administration of various projects. We hold student council elections in October for the school year. The Student Council is composed of elected officers and class representatives from grades 3-5 and is sponsored and guided by Elementary teachers. The 5th grade student ambassadors are student leaders who are selected through an application process. Ambassadors help with new student orientation, open house, Elementary assemblies and other student leadership events.
What should my child wear to school and bring to school? Clothing: We do not have a school uniform. Children should wear comfortable clothing which facilitates his/her participation in school activities. On rainy days, students may want to wear rubber boots to school. In that case students should have another pair of shoes that can be worn inside the classroom on these days.
ASB Track Suits: All Elementary students will be required to wear the ASB track suit on all field trips and school outings. Please label your child’s track suit with their full name, so teachers can easily distinguish who they belong to.
Student Backpack: Backpacks with wheels are not permitted in ES. These backpacks are difficult to manage and are difficult to store in the classroom. Backpacks should be brought to school daily and checked regularly for announcements, teacher notes, and work that your child has completed. Each child should have a backpack clearly marked with his/her name and class. Family Handbook 2015-2016 49
Will my child attend any field trips throughout the school year? How are we notified? Field Trips: During the school year, classes will go on various field trips. We ask parents to sign a field trip permission slip in September, which we keep on file, for all field trips taken during the school year. Parents will be notified prior to the different excursions and may be asked to volunteer as chaperones.
Most of our field trips require a maximum of 4 chaperones. Teachers will inform parents prior to the trip the exact number of helpers that will be needed. A waiting list will be created in case there is more demand for a specific outing. We encourage parents to enjoy and participate in school trips. Teachers appreciate their collaboration.
Can my child celebrate his/her birthday during school hours? Birthdays: We are more than happy to help your child celebrate his/her birthday at school with his/her teacher and classmates. However, in order to celebrate birthdays at school, we do ask that parents discuss birthday party plans with the classroom teacher at least a week in advance.
If parents are planning to celebrate their child’s birthday after school with his/her classmates, then students can pass out invitations to all of the children in the class. If parents are planning a smaller party with only a few classmates, then they will need to make these arrangements outside of school. For after-school parties, please notify the classroom teacher ahead of time. We need to know: 1) the names of the children you will be collecting, 2) what time they will be collected, and 3) where they will be collected. Likewise, if your child is attending a classmate’s birthday party after school and will be collected by someone other than the person who regularly picks him/her up, parents must notify the teacher in writing. Many children take the school bus home, and if the teacher is not aware that a child will be attending an after-school activity, the child will go home on the school bus as usual.
Can my child bring toys or phones to school? Personal toys from home stay home! No toys should be brought to school, since toys are a distraction and may be broken or lost. We also feel that children have ample time to play with their toys at home and should be engaged and focused upon other materials and activities at school. Toys that are brought to school may be confiscated by teachers. Cell phones, if absolutely necessary can be brought to school but must remain in the child´s backpack all day and turned off. If a child uses their phone on recess or during the day, the phone will be given to the elementary principal to be picked up by the parent.
Do I have to prepare a snack for my child? Snacks: Please send a healthy morning snack with your child. We recommend that you send: fruit, yogurt, crackers with cheese, plain cookies, dry cereal, small sandwiches, muffins or rolls, 50 Family Handbook 2015-2016 juice or milk. No candy, gum, nuts or seeds are allowed at school. Because we eat lunch at 1:00 PM, the morning snack should be light.
We especially request no nuts or nut products be brought to school. We have children with allergies to these foods.
Can I volunteer at school? If you are interested in volunteering in your child´s classroom, please contact the teacher directly to discuss potential projects. Volunteering opportunities could be chaperoning field trips, helping with class parties or helping teachers plan and prepare for special projects. Volunteering opportunities depends on the comfort level of the teacher and the children in the classroom. If you are a volunteer parent all information related to children in the classroom must remain confidential and not shared with other parents. If this confidentiality is not kept we will ask that parents no longer volunteer in the classroom. Family Handbook 2015-2016 51
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome to the ASB Middle School. We are delighted to have you as part of our community and look forward to working with you.
Middle School is a unique time for students as they develop strategies for academic success and explore and strengthen individual character traits. We are pleased to be a part of this important stage of maturation and growth. Our goal is to support students’ development as organized, independent learners who use information and technological tools effectively and responsibly. We encourage students’ active participation in their own learning, and strive to develop respectful, open-minded communicators who care about their community.
This handbook provides you with the details of our support structures and outlines clear expectations for our students. If you have any questions regarding any of the expectations and procedures in this handbook please do not hesitate to consult with one of your child’s teachers or the Middle School Principal.
The entire ASB Middle School staff is looking forward to a positive and enriching school year.
Sincerely,
Paul Dean Middle School Principal
52 Family Handbook 2015-2016
PROFILE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Middle School Overview: Our goal is to provide a balanced educational program within a positive, supportive and stimulating environment so that students can fully reach their potential while in the Middle School. The curriculum takes into account the developmental needs of students in the transition from the structured learning environment of Elementary to the more independent learning environment of High School at ASB. Our end goal is that upon entering High School, our students not only have developed a solid academic foundation, but also are well on their way to becoming balanced and caring individuals, committed to lifelong learning.
Middle School Grade Equivalents: With respect to the Spanish educational system, the Middle School grade equivalents are listed below:
American / International System Spanish System 6th grade 6º de Educación Primaria 7th grade 1º de ESO 8th grade 2º de ESO
Middle School Teachers: Our professional, collaborative, and caring teachers are specialists in the content they teach. Please consult the ASB website for a complete listing of staff, courses they teach and their contact emails.
Support Services: The Middle School support services team includes an English Language Learning teacher, a Learning Support Teacher, the Secondary School Guidance Counselor, and the Secondary Student Support Coordinator.
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Curriculum: The Middle School offers our students a rigorous academic program. The course of study taken at each grade level include: Humanities (Language Arts and Social Studies), Integrated Math, High Level Math, Integrated Science, Spanish (Castellano), Spanish Social Studies (Sociales), Catalan, Technology, Art, Music, Physical Education, Electives, and Advisory.
The curriculum of each academic course is aligned with specific American and Spanish standards and benchmarks. Spanish and Catalan courses are given in their respective languages, and fulfill the Spanish co-validation requirements. For students at various language learning levels, additional language support courses include English Language Learning (ELL) and Spanish Language Learning (SLL). For international families, Spanish Language Learning is offered in place of Castellano and Sociales, and Technology class is offered in place of Catalan for the student’s first several years at ASB. Family Handbook 2015-2016 53
Daily Schedule: The Middle School begins its school day at 9:00 and ends at 16:00. A bell rings at 8:55 to allow students to enter the building. The school day consists of six periods, with a homeroom, and a morning break between 1st and 2nd periods. Middle School lunch and recess is during 4th period, except on Wednesdays when it is during 5th period. The following is a sample of the daily schedule for the Middle School:
Sample Middle School Class Schedule
HR 9:00 pd 1 pd 2 pd 3 pd 4 pd 5 pd 6 BK 9:10 9:10 -10:20 10:45 -11:55 12:00 - 13:10 13:10 - 14:00 14:00 - 14:45 14:50 - 16:00
Catalan or Physical Castellano Mon 6A Humanities Lunch Math Technology Education or Spanish Sociales or Tues 6A Math Science Lunch Advisory Humanities Spanish Castellano Wed 6A Humanities Science Math Lunch Electives or Spanish Art S1 Castellano Thurs 6A Science Lunch Humanities Humanities Music S2 or Spanish Physical Sociales or Catalan or Fri 6A Math Humanities Lunch Education Spanish Technology
Middle School Electives: The Middle School provides students with additional elective course choices. Examples of the electives are Art, Drama, Lego Robotics, Movie Making, Dance, Cheerleading and Music. At the beginning of the year, students will be given a description of the courses they can choose from. Most Middle School Elective classes are semester classes but several are year-long classes. All students in grades 6-8 are expected to actively participate in these activities as a way of enhancing their learning experience at ASB.
Middle School Advisory Program: A Middle School Advisory program has been developed for the students in grades 6 to 8. This program has been designed to help develop the academic, social and life skills of our adolescent students. In that the Middle School is the bridge between the Elementary School and the High School, this program aims to support students in the transition to becoming more responsible and independent students. The advisory classes meet once a week and will have special activities throughout the year. This program is coordinated by the Secondary Student Support Coordinator and teachers.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
ASB supports many special programs to enhance our curricular programs. Participation in each program may be restricted due to limited capacity, academic requirements and/or disciplinary actions. Students on behavioral probation may not be allowed to participate. Below is a description of some of these programs. 54 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Middle School Student Council: The Student Council is a vehicle for experiencing the democratic process through discussion of school related issues and the planning, organization and administration of various projects. It is composed of elected officers and elected class representatives. Council members must show a responsible and committed attitude to learning and leadership.
Ski Week: During an entire week in February, students and teacher chaperones go skiing, often to a center in Puigcerdà. All students in the Upper school are encouraged to participate. No classes are given during this week.
Field Trips: The Middle School plans class field trips for each grade to support the academic programs. Most of the local trips are made at no extra cost to the students. However, special trips out of town, overnight, or within Barcelona but not directly related to the academic program, may require additional expenses which will be requested from the students. Students will be given ONE field trip permission slip at the beginning of the year to authorize their participation in all local field trips throughout the year. Parent will also receive notification via email and The Lantern prior to each field trip.
Overnight Team-Building Trips: In order to create a team atmosphere in the ASB Middle School and set clear expectations for cooperation, collaboration, and conflict resolution, all MS students will participate in an overnight team building experience twice during the school year.
Travel Opportunities: The ASB Middle School has offered in the past educational experiences outside of Spain. We have had trips to Florence, Italy, London, England, and Washington, D.C. We may offer a USA Spring Break trip depending on student interest and teacher availability.
ASB Summer Camp: ASB offers a summer camp for students directly after the end of the school year. More information will be provided at the end of the school year.
Afterschool Program: Middle School students are encouraged to participate in the afterschool program available every day from 16:00 – 17:30. Activities offered include movie making, chorus, and band. The sports programs provided at that time include basketball, soccer, swimming and volleyball. A complete description of courses offered and the registration forms will be provided to students within the first week of school.
Community Service: Middle school students have several opportunities to participate in community service with the Esplugues Càritas and Banc d’Aliments (Food Bank), reading in English to students in local elementary schools, and environmental projects in Collserola Park. School-based community service includes specific classes helping younger students during events such as Halloween and Sports Day.
MUN: Grade 7 and 8 students in the Middle School Model United Nations (MUN) Elective course serve as officers in the BCN MUN event in November. Gorade 7 and 8 students can choose to Family Handbook 2015-2016 55 participate in the Madrid MUN event in April. The Iberian Model United Nations takes place in Lisbon in November each year. This program is for Grade 9 students; however, students wishing to participate must indicate their interest during the fourth quarter of their 8th grade year in order to have time to prepare to be delegates in this event.
MAIS Honors Choir: ASB Middle School students can participate in the Mediterranean Association of International Schools Honors Choir competition. Students who participate in the choir elective will be provided more information about registration and costs.
Special Events: The ASB Middle School participates in school-wide events such as International Day, Halloween, and St. Jordi celebrations. In addition, there are events specific to the Middle School, such as spirit week, dances, and the Middle School Team Building Overnight, two full days of team-building activities that take place twice a school year.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Lockers: At the beginning of the school year, Grade 6, 7 and 8 students will be assigned a locker in the Middle School hallway. If students forget their combination they should ask the MS Secretary for the numbers. Students may not change lockers or use more than one locker without the Principal’s permission. Students are responsible for the contents of their locker and must keep their lockers clean. The school reserves the right to inspect students’ lockers at any time.
Locker Procedures: Students may access their lockers before the first class of the school day, at the morning and lunch recess, in between classes and after the school day ends. Students need to be aware of what materials and books they will need for their classes. Students must keep their lockers locked at all times and they should not tell anyone their combination. The school encourages students to leave their valuables at home. The school is not responsible for valuables brought to school.
Printing/Copying: Photocopiers are available for student use. For printing, students have a 300 page quota to begin the year. After reaching their quota, a student can request more print credit through the division secretary. If a student needs to make multiple copies for a class project, they should ask the teacher to have the copies made.
ACADEMIC MATTERS
The ASB Secondary division has recognized that current assessment practices in education are moving to a more standards-based approach to teaching and learning, which has transformed the way we assess and report student development and achievement. The goal has been to better communicate (specific targeted feedback) to students, parents and teachers about learning expectations in a subject and progressively report on a student’s level of proficiency at meeting 56 Family Handbook 2015-2016 subject specific standards. We believe that assessment is an important part of the teaching and learning process in order to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their learning and, more importantly, to detail areas where students can improve. Our assessments are expected to be: continuous and varied; transparent and predictable (modeled and defined by rubrics); challenging; differentiated; formative and summative; individual and collaborative.
Subject Specific Standards: Our teachers design a course around a curriculum that has many standards of learning with the expectation that all students can gain proficiency at these standards. Each course has a course outline that specifies the subject specific standards that will be assessed and reported in each semester of the year. These standards often represent a series of sub-standards that are defined in each curriculum, but act as general categories for teaching and learning.
Formative and Summative Assessments: Formative assessments include work that students do which help students develop the skills and knowledge they are learning. Formative assignments are usually in the form of daily homework (reading, problem solving, answering a series of questions), quizzes, or small projects. Feedback from a teacher on these assignments should be used to help improve on the next assessment for the standards being addressed. Homework is an important part the process to develop proficiency at a standard and students are expected to complete all homework on time. Sometimes formative assessments are graded and the grades can be used towards the final grade for a standard.
Homework: It is part of the ASB philosophy that homework is a necessary part of learning and provides students with the opportunity to strengthen and deepen their understanding of concepts being studied in class. As an extension of classroom work, homework fosters development of independence, self-discipline, and responsibility, and may conserve class time for those lessons better taught with close teacher guidance and supervision. Homework is intended to provide an appropriate challenge for students of all abilities, recognizing individual and group needs. Homework is also used to evaluate the progress of each student and may be collected and graded.
Teachers define and describe in detail the homework requirements for each course. It is the student’s responsibility to enter the details into their agenda and make sure that they understand the assignments before leaving class. If a student is unable to complete their homework, the opportunity to make-up the assignment is at the teacher’s discretion. Students and parents are advised to expect homework every night in all core subjects. Middle School students should expect to spend approximately 1-2 hours on homework each night. Assignment details are also posted on Moodle (https://moodle.a-s-b.com/) for the benefit of tutors and parents, as well as to encourage responsibility in students if they are absent from class.
For students who repeatedly struggle to meet the homework requirements on a regular basis, a homework contract may be established by the homeroom teacher and Middle School Principal, in collaboration with the student as a means of helping them to overcome this problem. Family Handbook 2015-2016 57
Summative Assessments are usually related to larger assignments or examinations, designed to assess a student’s proficiency for given standards. These assessments often take the form of final presentations, unit or semester exams. These assessments usually have a significant weight towards a final grade on a standard and for a subject.
Assessment: Teachers will use a variety of assessment techniques to evaluate the progress of each student. These techniques include tests, quizzes, homework, oral and written projects, and participation. Towards the end of the academic year a Middle School exam week will be held for 8th graders with the double purpose of developing important study skills and assessing a broader band of knowledge than what has been addressed in the tests and quizzes throughout the year. The number of subjects assessed in this exam week, as well as the duration of the exams will increase progressively as students move through Middle School. These evaluations will then be used, together with other assessments, to determine a grade for each student. Grades are reported to the parents in the PowerSchool program as well as through report cards. Students may be required to show graded major assignments to their parents, and return them signed to the class teacher as acknowledgement of this.
Grade Reporting: Grading is designed to report a student’s progress and the ASB Secondary School will report two sets of grades for each course.
• Academic Achievement Grades are reported continuously in Powerschool and are reported more formally in mid-term progress reports and final semester report cards. Achievement grades communicate a student’s level of proficiency with respect to the subject specific standards. Both summative and formative assessments will be used to determine a student’s level of proficiency and the expectation is that students will continuously improve, demonstrating higher levels of proficiency over time. For this reason, final grades may be determined by looking at the trend in a student’s level, rather than just using weighted averages. Achievement grades will be reported on a 1-4 scale, as described below in the Middle School Assessment Criteria.
• Learning Behaviors are also reported in the mid-term progress reports and final semester report cards. Academic behaviours have been grouped into 3 categories, Work Habits, Participation, Responsibility, as described below in the HS/MS Assessment Criteria. These categories demonstrate important areas of development for students that are the foundation for their present academic success and their future professional success. While we understand that Academic Achievement grades are very important for a student’s transition to university studies, the refining and mastering of a high level of learning behavior is critical for achieving high grades. We expect that teachers, students and parents will focus on the development of academic learning behaviors to support our students’ success.
Late work: Teachers assign homework and projects for students to develop their knowledge and skills, and to meet a rigorous curriculum schedule Students are expected to be responsible about completing their homework and projects on time. Teachers will clearly communicate their expectations for their courses in their course summaries at the beginning of the year. When students 58 Family Handbook 2015-2016 do not complete their assignments on time, this will be reflected in the Learning Behavior grades. In some cases, assessments that are not completed on time may result in a student not being able to demonstrate their proficiency at a given moment, resulting in a grade of non-proficient (1) being awarded for that assessment. Students who foresee problems with completing work on time should be contacting a teacher at least 48hrs prior to the due date to ask for an extension. In all cases, it is the teacher’s discretion to award an extension. Note that students who are habitually asking for extensions or habitually miss testing days due to illness will be evaluated for possible academic misconduct.
Reassessment: In some cases, students who are below proficiency may be given re-assessments in order to demonstrate proficiency in a standard. Prior to re-assessment, students will need to complete remedial work that is reviewed by the teacher. Re-assessment should happen within two two weeks of the original assessment. Reassessments will be awarded based on individual need.
Middle School Assessment Criteria: ASB uses a standards based grading system to report academic achievement in progress reports and report cards. Assessment grades in PowerSchool will be reported using a 1-4 point scale. The table below gives reference to the grading system.
Achievement levels 1-4 Generic Descriptors for a standard Scale
• Consistently demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of content and concepts. Exemplary • Communicates learning with a high degree of clarity and accuracy. 4 • Makes insightful connections and applies skills in new situations to create high quality, original work.
• Consistently demonstrates essential knowledge and understanding of content and concepts. • Frequently communicates learning with a considerable degree of Proficient 3 clarity and accuracy. • Frequently applies skills and makes connections to create high quality work. • Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding of required content and concepts. Developing • Occasionally communicates learning with clarity and accuracy. 2 • Sometimes applies skills to familiar situations and creates satisfactory work. • Demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding of required Limited content and concepts. 1 or No evidence • Communicates learning with a lack of clarity and/or accuracy. • Skills are limited and creates work that needs improvement.
Important Note: While the grade ‘2’ is considered passing in the US system and ‘Suficiente’ in the Spanish system, it is considered below standard. A grade of 1 is considered a failing grade. Traditional American Grades (A-F) and traditional Spanish Grades (1-10) are not used in the ASB Family Handbook 2015-2016 59
Middle School. The numbers 1-4 will be used to assess students’ proficiency in various content and skill standards in each course.
Learning Behaviors Grade: Report cards and progress reports will also communicate student’s development with respect to the learning behaviors of work habits, participation, and responsibility.
To be rated on a scale of 1-4 4-Consistently; 3-Frequently; 2- Rarely (needs improvement); 1-Never (needs improvement)
MS Learning Behaviors Work Habits • uses an agenda or calendar to keep track of schoolwork • consistently completes homework and practice work • completes assignments and projects neatly and on time • comes to class prepared and on time • manages time effectively • applies teacher feedback to his or her work
Participation • is an active and positive learner • follows directions from people in leadership roles, both teacher and student • respects the language of classroom instruction and the larger ASB community • resolves conflicts with respect and empathy • is open minded to the perspectives of others • collaborates with peers and teachers
Responsibility • respects the racial, religious, economic, and intellectual diversity of our school • utilizes art supplies, instruments, classroom texts, and classroom supplies appropriately • respects school property • keeps the school and classrooms clean and orderly • responsibly uses school appropriate tech tools. • takes the initiative in his or her learning
Report Cards & Progress Reports: The academic year is divided into four quarters. Progress reports are issued at the end of the 1st quarter and the 3rd quarter. Report Cards are issued at the end of the 1st semester (2nd quarter) and the 2nd semester (4th quarter). Achievement grades communicate a student’s level of proficiency with respect to the subject specific standards. Both summative and formative assessments will be used to determine a student’s level of proficiency and the expectation is that students will continuously improve, demonstrating higher levels of proficiency over time. For this reason, final grades may be determined by looking at the trend in a student’s level, rather than just using weighted averages. The report cards and progress reports include attendance information, an academic achievement grade broken into content and skill 60 Family Handbook 2015-2016 standards and learning behavior grades for each subject of study, along with teacher comments for each subject regarding academic progress and level of achievement. Both report cards and progress reports must be signed by parents and returned immediately to the homeroom teacher.
Honors and Awards: At the end of each semester students who have shown high academic achievement will be recognized by being placed on the Honor Roll or the Principal’s List. The criteria for each category are: Honor Roll: 3s and 4s in all courses Principal’s List: an average of 4s in all courses
At the end of 8th grade, members from the class being promoted to High School are chosen by the faculty and administration to receive the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence and the Presidential Award for Educational Achievement.
Recuperation Policy: Students in Grades 6-7 who do not pass a course at the end of a year will be given assignments or project work to complete over the summer. In addition, these families may be counseled to receive extra tutoring over the summer to assist with completing the assignments or studying for the exam.
Students in grade 8th going into 9th grade must take their recuperation exams in September. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all books and review materials needed to study for recuperation exams in September. Furthermore, students and parents should confirm with the school during the summer when the exams will be given. The exams are usually given the first few days of September. If a student misses an exam in September the student is given a 1 for the exam.
Students who have received a grade of 1 (failed) in four or more classes in June will not have the opportunity to do recuperation exams in September, and may be dismissed from ASB.
Academic Probation: Students who have earned two or more 1s as an averaged academic grade (failing grade) in their courses are placed on academic probation.
Students who are on academic probation will receive a letter and have a meeting with the Secondary Student Support Coordinator and/or Division Principal. Students on academic probation may be limited from participating in after school programs, extracurricular field trips, and other activities. The school and family will create an intervention plan to support the student and remind him or her of the school´s expectations.
If the student´s grades do not improve over the following school year and the student remains on academic probation, the student may be dismissed from the school. The school will also examine standardized test scores and support services in reviewing the student’s progress. The final decision on being dismissed from the school will be made by the Director in consultation Family Handbook 2015-2016 61 with the Division Principal and education team. The school will communicate this information in a meeting and in writing before the end of February.
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
The ASB Middle School has a One-to-One laptop program where students must bring a laptop to school each day. Laptops can be stored and charged in a student’s locker and teachers integrate technology usage in their classwork using on-line resources and interactive programs.
The purpose of the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) and Media Literacy programs at ASB is to support the students’ learning process in all subject areas by ensuring that students become highly skilled in using the tools available to the 21st century learner. Students are guided in developing understanding of as well as respectful use of on-line tools for working collaboratively through the use of emails, blogs, wikis, chats, forums and on-line communities. They develop good research skills (collecting, evaluating and synthesizing information) while developing an understanding of copyright issues and learning to use MLA formatting to cite sources. Our aim is to balance optimum educational use of the internet with the safety and privacy rights of our students. The active use of computers and Internet access by a student means that the student (and their parents) inherently agrees to our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) (see Appendix VI). ASB users who do not follow the rules outlined below and in the AUP will be subject to disciplinary actions, including losing their computer usage and network access privileges.
The school and legal responsibility: Computers are educational tools that need to be supervised by the school’s administration (article 1903, section 5 of the Spanish Civil Code). They should not be considered as toys or games when used in the school’s physical and cyber space. Personal laptops can be used on the school premises only for school assignments.
Use of laptops: The teacher controls the use of computers and technology tools in his/her classroom. In the classroom, the teacher will decide when computers can be on or off. The screen should also be off unless otherwise instructed.
When computers are not used for authorized purposes, they must be kept in the students’ lockers. The following uses of computers are prohibited on campus unless authorized by a teacher: • using computers and cellphones on the playgrounds or sports fields • using headphones • downloading movies, programs, games, music, videos or any other type of file • playing on-line games or video games • connecting to chats, MSN, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network
During morning break and lunch recess, Middle School students can only use their personal laptops if supervised in a classroom. 62 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Connections to networks: In order to use a network (public, private or social) it is necessary to have the teacher‘s permission. Students implicitly have permission to use the network with either the school’s computers or their own laptops. Instructions for how to configure and connect to the network will be posted on the ASB Moodle site (http://moodle.a-s-b.com/).
Students and parents can access school and course information through the ASB Moodle site. Students are expected to use the Moodle site to access general school information and specific course information about assignments and assessments. Students should use their ASB email when at school and can only use their private email when authorized by a teacher. Documents and files should be saved on the school server network or in the individual students’ @asbarcelona google drive to ensure periodic backup and easy access.
Students must have an updated anti-virus program and operation system.
User names and passwords to access the school’s intranet and server are personal and cannot be shared. The school system network (and school laptop) configurations cannot be changed.
It is prohibited to use (and install on school computers) programs that exchange information – P2P (such as Emule, Edonkey, BitTorrent, Ares, etc.).
Care of laptops: Students must make sure that laptop batteries are fully charged at the beginning of the school day. During the day personal laptops can be charged using the power outlet in the student lockers.
Personal laptops must be protected from damage with a case. Computers should be handled with care and not exposed to sunlight. Students can customize their personal computer hardware and screensaver. Students may not customize a school computer hardware and screensaver. Students must respect community standards and must refrain from using offensive messages or images.
The student and their legal guardian are responsible for handling the computer and programs from/to home or vice versa. Students are not allowed to share their computer with a peer unless their legal guardian and a teacher agree. When not in use, personal laptops should be kept in a student’s locker and should not be left in the hallways or play areas.
Digital Rights and Responsibilities: ASB users are expected to use digital information appropriately: Forgery or attempted forgery of email messages or other electronic documents is strictly prohibited.
Technology Problems: In the event of a technical problem, students must inform the teacher. If the teacher cannot solve the problem, the student can request a replacement computer or request to have an ICT technician try to solve the problem. Family Handbook 2015-2016 63
ASB users who do not follow the rules outlined below and in the AUP will be subject to disciplinary actions, including losing their computer usage and network access privileges.
ASB BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
ASB wants to ensure that students are safe and respectful to the community. Furthermore, we believe it is important for community members to be clear about what are the consequences for students who do not meet ASB behavior expectations. Students are also expected to be conscious of their social behavior within and around our school. Students should be particularly conscious of respectful behavior towards teachers, staff and parents as they move through the hallways. Students should not be yelling, shouting, running, littering, or pushing others. Affectionate behavior between students should be limited.
The success of the ASB behavior expectation depends on the continual support of the entire ASB Community: students, parents, administrators, and the teachers. In order to maintain a productive, nurturing and safe, educational environment for all students, the following responsibilities must be respected. Each student is expected to respect the rights and privileges of the other students, teachers, school staff, and any member of our community. Students shall conduct themselves responsibly in accordance with the rules and policies established for maintaining a productive learning environment.
DISCIPLINE PLAN OVERVIEW
The following plan is designed to encourage students to develop self-discipline, while at the same time fostering a positive learning environment. When a student is having a discipline problem, it is the responsibility of the student, teachers, school staff and parents to work together to correct the problem. The Secondary Student Support Coordinator will assist the Middle School Principal in the resolution of discipline problems and ensures the policy is administered in a fair, timely, and just manner.
Actions taken to discipline students will vary depending on the severity of the infraction. ASB has categorized student infractions into three groups, minor infractions, major infractions and severe infractions. Disciplinary actions include school detentions and discipline referrals.
School detentions will be used for minor infractions as a way of limiting a student’s privileges during school hours. Detentions during lunch periods will require students to eat separately from their peers for the first half of the period and spend the second half of the period doing one or more of the following: • reflecting on their actions in writing and/or orally with the Secondary Student Support Coordinator • correcting the situation to any degree possible • doing community service • other related activity linked to the nature of the infraction 64 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Discipline referrals will be used to document behavioral problems which fall into the categories “major” and “severe” infractions and will be sent to parents to inform them of their child’s problems. In addition, when a student has had three detentions a discipline referral will be issued. Each referral is considered a serious violation of the school’s code of conduct, even though each detention may have been given for a relatively minor infraction. Receiving repeated discipline referrals will lead to more severe sanctions as defined below.
First Referral: Letter is sent to parents Second Referral: Conference with parents Third Referral: One day suspension from school and a conference with parents Fourth Referral: One week suspension and the opening of a discipline record determine if expulsion from the school is warranted
During a suspension, students may not receive credit for assignments or evaluations they may miss, at the discretion of the Principal.
Minor Infractions: Minor infractions such as those listed below are usually dealt with by the supervising teacher using in-class discipline procedures. In the case where the in-class procedures are not effective and the infraction is repeated, a detention may be given to the student. The school may need to follow-up on recurring minor infractions by: • Meeting with the other teachers of the student • Calling a conference with advisor and/or parents of the student • Forming a discipline contract with the student • Removing the student from the classroom. In this case, the student will be sent to the Student Support Coordinator’s office or another supervised space.
The following are considered minor infractions: • Any minor disruption of learning or generally unsafe behavior • Chewing gum • Repeated tardiness to class • Inappropriate attire (please see dress code description in the Introduction of the Handbook) • Disrespectful language • Littering • Misuse of technology (laptop, cell phones, etc.)
Major Infractions: The following are considered major infractions and will earn a student a discipline referral. • Showing disrespect towards a fellow student, a teacher or staff member, whether it be verbal, written, or physical • Using obscene language or gestures • Damaging to school or other property • Skipping a class • Lying to a teacher or staff member Family Handbook 2015-2016 65
• Plagiarism, forgery, cheating (see below for more detail) • Not attending an assigned school detention • Violating technology rules (see below for additional detail) • Repeatedly disrupting learning • Inappropriate display of affection
Severe Infractions: In the case of serious misconduct, the disciplinary action will be reviewed by the administration and/or the discipline committee and may include but is not limited to the following actions: • Out of school suspension • Expulsion
The following are considered severe infractions: • Possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons (see below for more detail) • Smoking on campus during a school day or school function • Bringing weapons to campus • Stealing • Destroying or causing serious damage to school, staff or student property • Repeated incident of an academic integrity violation • Aggressive or abusive behavior towards members of the community, either physically or verbally • Fighting • Bullying/cyber bullying/harassment (see below for more detail) • Leaving school grounds without proper permission
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Weapons and Contraband: In order to promote a safe educational environment for all students at ASB, the school has a very strict policy on Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Weapons and Searches.
The use, possession, buying, selling, giving or offering of any of the following objects or substances by any student of ASB on campus, in the immediate environment or during a ASB sponsored event is prohibited: • alcoholic beverages • narcotics or other illegal or dangerous drugs (including marijuana and hashish) • weapons, explosives or other dangerous contraband
Any student who violates this policy shall be immediately suspended from ASB. A student in violation of this policy will then be subject to expulsion from ASB after an investigation by the Administration.
All ASB property is under the control of the School Board and the administration. A search of ASB property, including but not limited to lockers, may be made at the discretion of the Director or the Middle School Principal, if a reasonable suspicion arises that objects considered illegal, disruptive, or a general nuisance to the educational process are being kept 66 Family Handbook 2015-2016 at ASB. Personal searches will be made in the presence of another adult and a report will be made to the parents.
Plagiarism, forgery, cheating: As students develop the skills to be good academics, ASB is aware that breaches of academic honesty will occur, some unintentional and some very intentional. Students will be taught how to avoid situations that may be considered academically dishonest by understanding how to properly use and reference resources, how to work collaboratively and how to plan assignment completion in a timely manner. In most cases, breaches of academic honesty come from students not following the basic rules outlined by their teachers.
Breaches of academic honesty will be taken seriously and the consequences are designed to hold students responsible for their actions and give students learning opportunities to develop important academic skills. The consequences of a breach of academic honesty will vary depending on the severity of the situation. In most cases, the assessment or evaluation will not receive credit and the student will receive a discipline referral. The teacher and the Secondary Student Support Coordinator or Principal will review if the situation to consider if the work can be resubmitted. Repeated breaches of academic honesty can result in a suspension or even expulsion.
Violation of technology rules includes visiting inappropriate websites either on the school’s computers or using the school’s network, using someone else’s account without permission, negligence in taking care of the school’s hardware, and recording or photographing others without permission. Following a verbal warning, students may receive a discipline referral, suspension of computer privileges during non-class time, and/or suspension.
ASB has a zero tolerance policy for bullying and harassment, no matter whether it is through verbal and/or physical contact, or through social media and other technology. Any mean, harassing, bullying, or threatening language will earn the student a discipline referral and may lead to a suspension. In addition, any provocative photos, videos, or chats found on the computers, phones or other devices will not be tolerated and will result in a discipline referral and suspension.
Phone Use and Messages: In the Middle School, students are not permitted to use mobile phones during the school day. In urgent situations the student should speak to the MS Secretary to make arrangements for a call to be made. Parents are reminded that the office staff is very busy and should avoid leaving messages for their children unless it is an emergency.
TRANSITIONS
As Middle School is the bridge between Elementary and High School, we support ASB students through the transitions between each program. Students in 5th grade are visited by student ambassadors and teachers for question and answer sessions during the final two months of school. Family Handbook 2015-2016 67
In addition, all 5th grade students participate in a ‘Fly-Up’ day during the last weeks of the school year, in which they come to the Middle School and participate in activities designed to get them to meet their teachers and get a sense of what their classes will be like in 6th grade. ASB also provides parent chats at the end of the 5th grade year and throughout the 6th grade year as well. For the transition to High School, our 8th grade students are visited by 9th grade students, who provide insight into expectations and strategies needed to succeed in high school. The High School Principal also provides a presentation to students, and parent chats are also provided for parents in order to prepare them for the transition to High School.
We are looking forward to working with your child and family this school year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions or need more information.
68 Family Handbook 2015-2016
HIGH SCHOOL
Dear High School Parents and Students,
We are pleased to count your family among our ASB community and we thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education and development. The ASB High school will be a transformational experience for our students, as we support them to develop academically in a rigorously challenging environment. Our extracurricular programs aim to give the students a wide range of opportunities to develop social and emotional skills to increase their personal awareness and their global perspective. Through our community service activities all students will learn that international understanding is an important part of our world and that they can make a difference in the way people live and treat each other. In the sections that follow we will outline how ASB will prepare your student in our competitive, university-preparatory program towards successful graduation from our High School.
Sincerely,
Bill Volchok High School Principal
Family Handbook 2015-2016 69
PROFILE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
The American School of Barcelona (ASB) is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture and the Catalan Department of Education. The High School at ASB includes grades 9 to 12. The Grades 11 and 12 include the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) and the Spanish Bachillerato Program. The grade equivalents with respect to the local Spanish educational system are listed below.
American / International System Spanish System 12th grade / IBDP year 2 2º de Bachillerato 11th grade / IBDP year 1 1º de Bachillerato 10th grade 4º de ESO 9th grade 3º de ESO
Program of Study: Due to the wide variety of our students’ backgrounds, a combined International/ American/Spanish/Catalan program of study is offered that prepares students for entry into North American, Spanish and other European universities. The curriculum in grades 9-12 has been designed to meet the criteria and requirements of American, International and Spanish educational systems. All students in our High School are in a program which leads to an American Diploma upon graduation from 12th grade. Students also have the option to follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) or a Spanish Bachillerato program in the last two years (11th and 12th grades). Our curriculum is periodically reviewed by faculty, administration, and official certification agents in order to remain current and allow for continuous development and improvement. The complete curriculum and course descriptions are available on the ASB website www.a-s-b.com. 70 Family Handbook 2015-2016
High School (Grades 9-12) Course Offerings
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 IB English Language and IB English Language World Literature I World Literature II Literature and Literature Algebra I / Geometry Algebra II IB Math / Pre-calculus IB Math Calculus / World History I World History II IB Economics/ Economics Linear Algebra (sp) Physics I / Biology I IB History IB History Chemistry I Spanish Spanish IB Psychology IB Economics IB Chemistry / Catalan Catalan IB Psychology Chemistry II Spanish Geography IB Chemistry / Spanish History (sp) IB Biology/Biology I (sp) Adv. Chemistry IB Biology / Physical Education Physical Education IB Physics /Physics II Adv. Biology (sp) Information Journalism IB Spanish / Spanish IB Physics/ Adv. Physics Technology Teen Issues Teen Issues Catalan IB Spanish / Spanish Electives: IB Visual Arts Catalan Music, Art, Technical Drawing, Debate, Spanish History (sp) History of Philosophy (sp) Drama Digital Photography, MUN, Movie Making, Philosophy (sp) Art History (sp) Robotics Distance Running, Fitness Dance Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
Tech. Drawing II (sp)
IB Visual Arts
Business Economics (sp)
Note that Spanish and Catalan courses are given in their respective languages. Courses followed by (sp) are also given in Spanish. Other High School courses include English Language Learning (ELL) and Spanish Language Learning (SLL)
High School Staff: See the ASB website for a complete listing of staff, courses they teach and their contact emails.
Daily Schedule: ASB begins its school day at 9:00 AM. Students may enter the building at 8:30 AM and a bell rings at 8:55 to allow students to enter their homeroom by 9:00 AM. Homeroom is an important part of the day for students to organize and manage their time and all students Family Handbook 2015-2016 71 are expected to arrive on time. The school day consists of 6 periods, with a break between 1st and 2nd periods. High School lunch is during 5th period. In some cases, students may have their lunch periods during the 4th period to accommodate scheduling (see the Appendix II for a sample schedule).
Last period on Wednesdays: The High School provides students experiences with service learning and community service activities. At the beginning of the year, students will choose between a variety of activities to participate in, including our English Outreach program, MUN, Student Council, and many more. 11th and 12th grade students, in good academic standing, will be allowed to organize their time independently during this period, either working on campus or off campus. All students in grades 9 and10 will be programed into activities and are expected to actively participate in these activities as a way of enhancing their learning experience at ASB.
High School Student Council (HSSC): The Student Council has become a significant student- led organization that supports activities and events throughout the school. Their website and mission statement can be viewed via the ASB website. The HSSC is composed of elected student officers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Public Relations Officer) and elected student class representatives. Council members must maintain at least a “B” average in all their classes (without discipline referrals) to be eligible to participate.
UNIVERSITY COUNSELING AND EXAMINATIONS
Students planning on attending North American, British or international universities get counseling from our college counselor, the Principal, the IB Coordinator and their teachers. The college counselor will advise and work with students on the procedures and timing for making applications to colleges and universities. A University/College Planning Guide will be distributed to students in the High School at the beginning of the year. Presentations to parents are also scheduled throughout the year. Students and parents in 11th grade especially will need to begin the process in preparation for making choices and applications. The school helps coordinate a series of exams that may be needed and/or be useful for university entrance (see below).
Spanish students planning on attending Spanish universities prepare for the Selectividad exams that are taken in June, at the end of their senior year. Spanish Law gives full homologation for students who successfully complete the full IB Diploma Program. However, some university programs may also require specific Selectividad exams for ALL students applying from the IB program. The Spanish Technical Director, Ms. Magda Montesinos, and the Spanish faculty are available for counseling about which Spanish universities are appropriate for a student’s needs. Parents need to be attentive to the requirements for entering Spanish universities and help their child in choosing their field of study. Presentations to parents are also scheduled throughout the year.
PSAT: The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test is given at the school in October to all 10th and is optional for 11th graders. The results of this exam help to evaluate the level of English 72 Family Handbook 2015-2016 comprehension and Math skills as compared to students in the United States. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT I. There is no charge for this exam.
SAT I: The SAT I is a three-hour test required for entrance into most American universities. The test is designed to test the reasoning skills of students in the areas of English and Math and is usually taken by 11th and/or 12th grade students interested in attending universities outside Spain. The SAT I is given at various times throughout the year at an assigned location in Barcelona. Students must register on-line in advance (usually in September or October) and should speak with the college counselor as soon as they decide to take this test. Registration and information may be found at collegeboard.com. There is a fee for the test.
SAT II: The SAT II tests are subject specific tests that test knowledge and application skills in a given subject. These tests may be required for admission into some American university programs and are usually taken by 11th and/or 12th grade students interested in attending universities outside Spain. SAT II tests last for one hour and include subjects such as Languages, Math, Sciences, History and English writing and literature. Student may take up to three subject tests. The SAT II is given at various times throughout the year at an assigned location in Barcelona. Students must register on-line in advance (usually in September or October) and should speak with the college counselor as soon as they decide to take this test. Registration and information may be found at collegeboard.com. There is a fee for the test.
The University of Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE): This certificate measures English proficiency (native-like level) and is valid forever. The certificate is also accepted for university credits in some Barcelona area universities. The examination is given to 11th grade students (non-native English speakers) at the Institute of North American Studies (IEN), usually in June. ASB will register the students and the cost of the examination is approximately 200 euros. Payment is coordinated through the ASB Business Office.
TOEFL: The primary purpose of the TOEFL is to measure the ability of non-native speakers of English to communicate in English. U.S. colleges and many European Universities require this test. The TOEFL can be taken throughout the year at a test center in Barcelona. Students should speak with the college counselor as soon as they decide to take this test. There is a fee for the test.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
ASB supports many special programs to enhance our curricular programs. Participation in each program may be restricted due to limited capacity and/or academic requirements. Students on academic or behavioral probation may not be allowed to participate. The following programs have been consistently and successfully run each year:
MUN Programs: Each year, ASB has the privilege of sending students as delegates to various Model United Nations (MUN) programs. Preparation happens during the 9th/10th grade elective Family Handbook 2015-2016 73 classes, during the Wednesday afternoon SEED classes and afterschool. The big event is the BCNMUN that ASB runs in Barcelona, hosting over 300 student delegates coming from local schools and schools around Europe. Depending on interest, the following MUN conferences may be attended by ASB students: – IMUN in Lisbon in November – BCNMUN in Barcelona in November – THIMUN in The Hague In January – Milan MUN In Milan in April
The cost of these programs/trips range from 450 to 1,200 euros. Presently, Mr. Joe Maas coordinates these trips and can be contacted for more information.
NESDA: (New European Speech, Debate, and Acting Association) NESDA was conceived in 1985 to promote speech activities in the English-speaking schools in Europe. Two tournaments are held a year to provide students with the opportunity to improve their speaking, listening, communicating and performing skills. All students should be looking for personal growth and development that come from participating: the aim is to learn rather than to win. Each NESDA tournament will consist of five events: Debate, Duet Acting, Impromptu Speaking, Oral Interpretation of Literature, and Original Oratory. ASB has participated with a team for the last 2 years and will host the event in the Spring of 2015. Mr. Michael Hennessy is the director of this program and the cost varies depending on the location of the event (approx. 350 euros).
Community Service trips: Students must fulfill a community service requirement (see Academic Matters) in the High School and the school often organizes group events or trips around community service activities. Contact the Community Service, Creativity and Activity (CAS) coordinator for more information.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Senior/Junior Privileges: With parental permission and administration approval, Seniors (12thgrade) and Juniors (11th grade) have the privilege of leaving campus during their break, lunch recesses and free periods. Students are expected to return to campus responsibly for their next class. Violation of these rules will result in disciplinary actions and/or the loss of the privileges.
Lockers: High School students are assigned a locker at the beginning of the year. Students must keep their locker locked at all times and they must make sure to not tell anyone their combination. If students forget their combination they should ask their homeroom teacher or the Principal for the numbers. Students may not change lockers or use more than one locker without the Principal’s permission. Students are responsible for the contents of their locker and must keep their lockers clean. The school reserves the right to request to inspect students’ lockers at any time. 74 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Phone Use and Messages: Students will only be permitted to use the office phones for emergency situations. Parents are reminded that the office staff is very busy and should avoid leaving messages for their children unless it is an emergency. Students may use their phones to listen to music or check messages during the morning break (on the top floor or in the cafeteria) and during lunch (on the top floor). Phones may not be used during or between classes without teacher approval. If a student needs to make an emergency call with their cell phone they should speak to their teacher or the Principal.
Printing/Copying: Photocopiers are available for student use in the library. For printing, students have a 300 page quota to begin the year. After reaching their quota, a student may request more print credit through the division secretary. If a student needs to make multiple copies for a class project, they should ask the teacher to have the copies made.
Recess Rules: During the morning break recess students may go to the cafeteria or to the HS terraces. During lunch recess, students may remain in the cafeteria, go to an assigned field area or to the HS terraces. In the case of rain, the students may be allowed to stay in open classrooms. Students may go to the library if they are doing schoolwork or research related projects. Students may not be in a classroom unsupervised at any time. During the lunch periods, there are classes taking place in High School rooms so students may not be in the hallways making noise.
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
The ASB High School has a One-to-One laptop program where students must bring a laptop to school each day. Laptops can be stored and charged in a student’s locker and teachers integrate technology usage in their classwork using on-line resources and interactive programs.
The purpose of the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) and Media Literacy programs at ASB is to support the students’ learning process in all subject areas by ensuring that students become highly skilled in using the tools available to the 21st century learner. Students are guided in developing understanding of as well as respectful use of on-line tools for working collaboratively through the use of emails, blogs, wikis, chats, forums and on-line communities. They develop good research skills (collecting, evaluating and synthesizing information) while developing an understanding of copyright issues and learning to use MLA formatting to cite sources. Our aim is to balance optimum educational use of the internet with the safety and privacy rights of our students. The active use of computers and Internet access by a student means that the student (and their parents) inherently agrees to our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) (see Appendix VI). ASB users who do not follow the rules outlined below and in the AUP will be subject to disciplinary actions, including losing their computer usage and network access privileges.
The school and legal responsibility: Computers are educational tools that need to be supervised by the school’s administration (article 1903, section 5 of the Spanish Civil Code). They should not be considered as toys or games when used in the school’s physical and cyber space. Personal laptops can be used on the school premises only for school assignments. Family Handbook 2015-2016 75
Use of laptops: The teacher controls the use of computers and technology tools in his/her classroom. In the classroom, laptops must be turned off. The teacher will decide when computers can be on or off. The screen should also be off unless otherwise instructed.
When computers are not used for authorized purposes, they must be kept in the students’ lockers. The following uses of computers are prohibited on campus unless authorized by a teacher: • using computers on the playgrounds or sports fields • using headphones • downloading movies, programs, games, music, videos or any other type of file • playing on-line games or video games • connecting to chats, MSN, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network
During break periods, High School students can use their personal laptops in the lunchroom, library or supervised in a classroom. During lunchtimes, students can use their computers in the library or supervised in a classroom.
Connections to networks: In order to use a network (public, private or social) it is necessary to have the teacher‘s permission. Students implicitly have permission to use the network with either the school’s computers or their own laptops. Instructions for how to configure and connect to the network will be posted on the ASB Moodle site (http://moodle.a-s-b.com/).
Students and parents can access school and course information through the ASB Moodle site. Students are expected to use the Moodle site to access general school information and specific course information (about assignments and assessments). Students should use their ASB email when at school and can use their private email when authorized by a teacher. Documents and files should be saved on the school server network to ensure periodic backup and easy access.
Students must have an updated anti-virus program and operation system.
User names and passwords to access the school’s intranet and server are personal and cannot be shared. The school system network (and school laptop) configurations cannot be changed.
It is prohibited to use (and install on school computers) programs that exchange information – P2P (such as Emule, Edonkey, BitTorrent, Ares, etc.).
Care of laptops: Students must make sure that laptop batteries are fully charged at the beginning of the school day. During the day personal laptops can be charged using the power outlet in the student lockers.
Personal laptops must be protected from damage with a case. Computers should be handled with care and not exposed to sunlight. Students can customize their personal computer hardware and screensaver. Students may not customize a school computer hardware and screensaver. Students must respect community standards and must refrain from using offensive messages or images. 76 Family Handbook 2015-2016
The student and their legal guardian are responsible for handling the computer and programs from/to home or vice versa. Students are not allowed to share their computer with a peer unless their legal guardian and a teacher agree. When not in use, personal laptops should be kept in a student’s locker and should not be left in the hallways or play areas.
Digital Rights and Responsibilities: ASB users are expected to use digital information appropriately: Forgery or attempted forgery of email messages or other electronic documents is strictly prohibited.
Technology Problems: In the event of a technical problem, students must inform the teacher. If the teacher cannot solve the problem, the student can request to borrow a computer from the library or request to have an ICT technician try to solve the problem.
ASB users who do not follow the rules outlined below and in the AUP will be subject to disciplinary actions, including losing their computer usage and network access privileges.
ACADEMIC MATTERS
Student Expectations: The curriculum at ASB is very demanding due to the fact that we study in three languages and cover material for the American, IB and Spanish educational systems. New students may find it harder to get the grades they may have received at other schools. Students will be expected to work hard both in class and on homework assignments.
All students are expected to arrive to classes on time with the required materials. These materials include textbooks, notebooks, laptops, pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, proper clothing (for Art and PE) and other materials or assignments as specified by each teacher.
The ASB Secondary division has recognized that current assessment practices in education are moving to a more standards-based approach to teaching and learning, which has transformed the way we assess and report student development and achievement. The goal has been to better communicate (specific targeted feedback) to students, parents and teachers about learning expectations in a subject and progressively report on a student’s level of proficiency at meeting subject specific standards. We believe that assessment is an important part of the teaching and learning process in order to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their learning and, more importantly, to detail areas where students can improve. Our assessments are expected to be: continuous and varied; transparent and predictable (modeled and defined by rubrics); challenging; differentiated; formative and summative; individual and collaborative.
Subject Specific Standards: Our teachers design a course around a curriculum that has many standards of learning with the expectation that all students can gain proficiency at these standards. Each course has a course outline that specifies the subject specific standards that will be assessed and reported in each semester of the year. These standards often represent a series Family Handbook 2015-2016 77 of sub-standards that are defined in each curriculum, but act as general categories for teaching and learning.
Formative assessments include work that students do which help students develop the skills and knowledge they are learning. Formative assignments are usually in the form of daily homework (reading, problem solving, answering a series of questions), quizzes, or small projects. Feedback from a teacher on these assignments should be used to help improve on the next assessment for the standards being addressed. Homework is an important part the process to develop proficiency at a standard and students are expected to complete all homework on time. Sometimes formative assessments are graded and the grades can be used towards the final grade for a standard.
Homework: It is part of the ASB philosophy that homework is a necessary part of learning and provides students with the opportunity to strengthen and deepen their understanding of concepts being studied in class. As an extension of classroom work, homework fosters development of independence, self-discipline, and responsibility, and may conserve class time for those lessons better taught with close teacher guidance and supervision. Homework is intended to provide an appropriate challenge for students of all abilities, recognizing individual and group needs. Homework is also used to evaluate the progress of each student and may be collected and graded.
Teachers define and describe in detail the homework requirements for each course. It is the student’s responsibility to enter the details into their agenda and make sure that they understand the assignments before leaving class. If a student is unable to complete their homework, the opportunity to make-up the assignment is at the teacher’s discretion. Students and parents are advised to expect homework every night in all core subjects. Students in grades 9 and 10 should expect to spend approximately 2-3 hours on homework each night. Students in grades 11-12 should expect to spend approximately 3-4 hours on homework each night. Assignment details are also posted on Moodle (https://moodle.a-s-b.com/) for the benefit of tutors and parents, as well as to encourage responsibility in students if they are absent from class.
Summative Assessments are usually related to larger assignments or examinations, designed to assess a student’s proficiency for given standards. These assessments often take the form of final presentations, unit or semester exams. These assessments usually have a significant weight towards a final grade on a standard and for a subject.
Grade Reporting: Grading is designed to report a student’s progress and the ASB Secondary School will report two sets of grades for each course.
• Academic Achievement Grades are reported continuously in Powerschool and are reported more formally in mid-term progress reports and final semester report cards. Achievement grades communicate a student’s level of proficiency with respect to the subject specific standards. Both summative and formative assessments will be used to determine a student’s level of proficiency and the expectation is that students will continuously improve, demonstrating higher levels of 78 Family Handbook 2015-2016
proficiency over time. For this reason, final grades may be determined by looking at the trend in a student’s level, rather than just using weighted averages. Achievement grades will be reported on a 1-4 scale, as described below in the High School Assessment Criteria.
• Learning Behaviors are also reported in the mid-term progress reports and final semester report cards. Academic behaviours have been grouped into 3 categories, Work Habits, Participation, Responsibility, as described below in the High School Assessment Criteria. These categories demonstrate important areas of development for students that are the foundation for their present academic success and their future professional success. While we understand that Academic Achievement grades are very important for a student’s transition to university studies, the refining and mastering of a high level of learning behavior is critical for achieving high grades. We expect that teachers, students and parents will focus on the development of academic learning behaviors to support our students’ success.
Late work: Teachers assign homework and projects for students to develop their knowledge and skills, and to meet a rigorous curriculum schedule Students are expected to be responsible about completing their homework and projects on time. Teachers will clearly communicate their expectations for their courses in their course summaries at the beginning of the year. When students do not complete their assignments on time, this will be reflected in the Learning Behavior grades. In some cases, assessments that are not completed on time may result in a student not being able to demonstrate their proficiency at a given moment, resulting in a grade of non-proficient (1) being awarded for that assessment. Students who foresee problems with completing work on time should be contacting a teacher at least 48hrs prior to the due date to ask for an extension. In all cases, it is the teacher’s discretion to award an extension. Note that students who are habitually asking for extensions or habitually miss testing days due to illness will be evaluated for possible academic misconduct.
PowerSchool is our on-line grading program where students and parents (password protected) can view if assignments have been turned in and what the achievement grade is.
Reassessment: In some cases, students who are below proficiency may be given re-assessments in order to demonstrate proficiency in a standard. Prior to re-assessment, students will need to complete remedial work that is reviewed by the teacher. Re-assessment should happen within two two weeks of the original assessment. Reassessments will be awarded based on individual need.
Achievement Grading: ASB uses the American (letter) system to report academic achievement in progress reports and report cards. However, assessment grades in PowerSchool will be reported using a 4 point scale reflecting a standards-based assessment approach. The table below gives an overview to the grading. Family Handbook 2015-2016 79
High School Assessment Criteria Academic Achievement
Achievement levels for 1-4 Letter Grade Generic Descriptors a standard Scale equivalent
• Consistently demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of content and concepts. • Communicates learning with a high degree Exemplary 4 A of clarity and accuracy. • Makes insightful connections and applies skills in new situations to create high quality, original work.
• Consistently demonstrates essential knowledge and understanding of content and concepts. • Frequently communicates learning with a Proficient 3 B considerable degree of clarity and accuracy. • Frequently applies skills and makes connections to create high quality work.
• Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding of required content and concepts. • Occasionally communicates learning with clarity Developing 2 C and accuracy. • Sometimes applies skills to familiar situations and creates satisfactory work.
• Demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding of required content and concepts. Limited • Communicates learning with a lack of clarity 1 F or No evidence and/or accuracy. • Skills are limited and creates work that needs improvement.
Academic Behaviours Report cards and progress reports will also communicate a student’s development with respect to 3 categories of Academic Behaviour:
1. Work Habits: The effective student will: • complete and present homework/classwork on time • present work neatly, completely and of high quality • demonstrates perseverance
2. Participation: The engaged student will: • listen respectfully during class 80 Family Handbook 2015-2016
• participate actively in classroom activities • take advantage of opportunities to improve • is a positive factor in classroom activities • collaborate with their peers • ask questions when unsure • appropriate use of target language
3. Responsibility: The responsible student will: • come on time to class • come prepared to class with required supplies (notebooks, computer…) • follow the rules and directions presented in the class • effectively manages their time to fulfill requirements of the course • advocate for themselves as learners through effective communication and reflective thinking. • manage absences and lateness appropriately • act respectfully to fellow students and teachers • use technology appropriately in the classroom
Teachers will evaluate students on a 4 point scale using the following scale: • 4-Consistently • 3-Frequently • 2- Rarely (needs improvement) • 1-Never (needs improvement)
Report Cards & Progress Reports: The academic year is divided into four quarters. Progress reports are issued at the end of the 1st quarter and the 3rd quarter. Report Cards are issued at the end of the 1st semester (2nd quarter) and the 2nd semester (4th quarter). In grades 9 to 12, mandatory semester final examinations are given. These exams require up to 2.0 hours for completion and vary in terms of the weighting for a final semester grade (10 to 40%). See the table below shows the timing for the grading periods, semester exams and report distribution.
Achievement grades communicate a student’s level of proficiency with respect to the subject specific standards. Both summative and formative assessments will be used to determine a student’s level of proficiency and the expectation is that students will continuously improve, demonstrating higher levels of proficiency over time. For this reason, final grades may be determined by looking at the trend in a student’s level, rather than just using weighted averages. The report cards and progress reports include attendance information, an academic achievement grade broken into content and skill standards and learning behavior grades for each subject of study, along with teacher comments for each subject regarding academic progress and level of achievement. Both report cards and progress reports will be sent home electronically and parents are expected to verify that they have received and read the reports.
Final Grades: For each academic subject, our reports will display the final achievement grade (1-4) for each standard in a subject. The Standard grades will then be combined to give an overall Family Handbook 2015-2016 81 final grade (1-4) for the subject. This final grade will also be translated into a letter grade as a reference to the traditional A-F grading system
Academic Honesty Policy: The school takes academic honesty seriously and understands that students need to be educated about how to study and work in an honest way. The school will give workshops and seminars to students on how to work without cheating, copying, plagiarizing and colluding in the context of a student’s homework, projects, assessments and evaluations. Students are expected to use proper referencing and citation techniques that will be developed across the curriculum. Serious consequences will be incurred if academic integrity is not demonstrated. See the ASB Academic Honesty Policy in Appendix I for more information.
Academic Year 2015-16 12th Grade 9th to 11th Grade
1st quarter ends October 23 October 23
Progress reports issued October 28 October 28
Parent Conferences November 4 November 4
1st semester exams December 14-18 December 14-18
2nd quarter/ 1st semester ends December 18 December 18
Semester 1 reports cards issued January 19 January 19
3rd quarter ends February 29 March 18
12th IB Mock exams March 3 - 11
Progress reports issued March 10 April 4
April 25-29 (Span Bach.) 2nd semester exams June 13-17 May 2-20 (IB)
2nd semester ends April 29 June 17
Final report cards issued May 13 June 23
An official school transcript detailing academic performance and extra-curricular activities in grades 9 through 12 is kept for each student. Final grades and the proper credits are added to the transcript upon the completion of each school year.
Course Choices: Students in 11th and 12th grades choose their program of study and specific courses for their final 2 years of school. Once the year has begun, students have two weeks to make any changes in their selections. Any changes must have the Principal’s approval. Changes made after the two-week period may result in loss of credits. Students who have chosen the IB Diploma Program will be required to be passing all classes with a C average in order to remain in the program. 82 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Honors and Awards: At the end of each semester students who have shown high academic achievement will be recognized by being placed on the Principal’s List or the Honor Roll. The criteria for each category are: Honor Roll: 3’s and/or 4’s in all courses Principal’s List: Average of 4’s in all courses
At the end of 12th grade, members from the graduating class may be chosen by the faculty and administration to receive the following awards during graduation: • President’s Award: These certificates are awarded to students who have shown outstanding excellence in their studies or outstanding improvement in their studies. • ECIS Award for International Understanding: This certificate is awarded to the student that has been a good representative of his/her own country, with a positive attitude towards the life and culture of others. They should be able to converse in at least two languages and demonstrate the ability to bring differing people together into a sense of community, thus furthering the cause of international understanding. • Community Service Award: This award is given to students who have shown dedication throughout their High School years to the spirit of community service and worked to make the world a better place.
Retention and Recuperation Policy: Students who do not pass a course at the end of a year may need to take a recuperation exam. 12th grade students can take their recuperation exams in May and/or September. 9th to 11th grade students will take their recuperation exams at the end of August. Summer work to recuperate a failing grade will only be allowed in special cases, with the Principal’s approval. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all books and review materials needed to study for recuperation exam. Furthermore, students and parents should make sure to confirm with the school during the summer about when the exams will be given. If a student misses the recuperation exam in August, the failing grade will remain on their academic record.
Students who still have 2 or more failing grades in academic subjects after the recuperation exams will undergo an academic review and may not be promoted to the next grade. Students who have not passed four or more classes in June will not have the opportunity to do recuperation exams, and will not be promoted to the next grade level. A student may only repeat a grade once. If, after repeating a grade for the second time, a student fails again, that student will be dismissed from ASB.
Due to the dates of our final semester exams, the school will not be able to inform students and parents about recuperation exams, repeating a grade, or dismissal until the end of June. However, meetings with students and parents will be held during the year if these situations are possible.
Students earning two or more 1’s (failing grades) in academic subjects at the end of a quarter will be placed on academic probation. When a student is on academic probation: • Their teachers will regularly monitor their progress. Family Handbook 2015-2016 83
• The student cannot take part in any extra-curricular activities without permission from the Principal. • Senior and Junior privileges may be revoked. A student will be removed from academic probation at the end of a quarter in which they receive less than two failing grades in academic subjects.
Graduation Requirements: There are three different types of diplomas or certificates offered upon graduation from ASB; the American High School Diploma, the IB Diploma and the Spanish Homologation certificate.
The American High School Diploma is a diploma equivalent to a diploma received by students in High Schools in the US. The requirements for receiving this diploma include the accumulation of at least 21 credit hours over the four years of High School. These credits must include:
• English 4 credits • Science 3 credits • Social Studies 3 credits • Mathematics 3 credits • Physical Education 1 credits • Foreign Language 3 credits • Electives 3 credits • Community Service 1 credit
Full credit is given for courses that meet at least four times each week and half credit is given either for a course that meets less frequently or upon approved partial completion of the full credit course. No credit is given for a failing grade or withdrawal from a class.
The American High School Diploma is valid for entrance into North American universities, British universities and some other private universities.
The IB Diploma is received by students who complete the full IB diploma program of study in the 11th and 12th grades. This program of study includes 7 core subjects, an extended essay, and an intensive Community Service, Creativity and Activity (CAS) requirement. The IB Diploma program is rigorous and the diploma is highly respected in the academic world and is now accepted for admission in most American, International and Spanish universities. The IB diploma is a rigorous academic program. Students who are not passing ANY of their courses will have a meeting with the principal and may be removed from the program.
The Spanish Bachillerato Diploma is received by students who complete the Spanish program of studies at ASB. The requirements for receiving this certificate include those stated for the High School Diploma plus successful completion of the following courses: • Spanish Language and Literature • Catalan Language and Literature • Spanish History and Geography 84 Family Handbook 2015-2016
Successful completion of the Spanish program allows co-validation of the Título de Graduado en Educación Secundaria (ESO) (grades 7 -10) and the Título de Bachillerato (grades 11 and 12). Successful completion of this program allows students to take the required Spanish university entrance exams (Selectividad).
Community Service: ASB will require its students to successfully carry out a commitment to the community outside the normal activities of the school. Beginning in 9th grade, students must begin to accumulate Community Service hours. While students can accumulate hours for work done at school, students are encouraged to do volunteer work off campus. Their work must be approved by the administration and cannot be work done for parents or relatives. The Principal and Counselor will help students manage and coordinate their work hours. To fulfill this credit, a student must work at least 35 hours by the end of 10th grade and either completes the IB CAS program or another 35 hours in the 11th and 12th grades.
Physical Education: In 9th and 10th grades, students are required to take part in physical education classes unless they have a medical reason for being unable to participate. Parents should send a note of explanation to the Physical Education teacher when a student is unable to participate on a given day. If the student needs to be excused from Physical Education classes for an extended period, an official medical certificate is required. Students must wear appropriate clothing for their gym classes. Appropriate PE attire consists of a T-shirt, athletic shorts and training shoes in warm weather and a track suit in cold weather.
Class Trips: The High School plans class trips for each grade to support the academic programs. Most of the local trips are made at no extra cost to the students. However, special trips out of town or overnight may require additional expenses which will be requested from the students. The High School may also propose special trips to museums or theater productions that may incur extra costs to students. Students will be given ONE field trip permission slip at the beginning of the year to authorize their participation in all local field trips throughout the year. Parents will also receive notification via email and the school bulletin (The Lantern) prior to each field trip.
Application to American Universities: To apply to any American University/College (either in the United States or Europe), students must have an American High School Diploma and need to have taken the SAT I at least once. American universities will also base their acceptance of students on reference letters, and the student’s transcripts that show grades, honors and participation in special activities. Completion of the IB Diploma program gives students a special advantage in American university applications due to the rigorous reputation of the program. Our College/ University counselor will assist in preparing students for application to these schools. Special meetings will be held to inform parents and students about the university application process.
Application to Spanish Universities: Students who successfully complete the Spanish Bachillerato program at ASB can register for the Selectividad exams (General and Specific exams). The results of the Selectividad and ASB grades from 11th and 12th grade are then used to calculate the final grade a student will use to apply to Spanish university programs. Family Handbook 2015-2016 85
Spanish education law gives complete homologation for students who receive the full IB diploma. Hence, students who successfully complete the IB Diploma in 11th and 12th grades can request a Spanish Credential. The credential certifies the final IB grade of the student and reports an equivalency score (General Selectividad) used for Spanish university applications.
Admission into different specialist schools (Facultades) may depend on the score the student receives on the Selectividad exam or the equivalency score related to the final IB diploma score. Some University programs may also require specific Selectividad exams for ALL students applying from the IB program.
The Selectividad: ASB counselors will arrange for those students who have successfully completed the Spanish Bachillerato program and/or who meet the requisites established by the Technical Secretary of the Spanish Ministry of Education, to take the Selectividad exams which are given through the University for Distance Education (the UNED). The tests are given at the end of May/ beginning of June and are in Spanish. ASB will assist students in registering for the exams.
Special Note: Recent changes in Spanish government educational regulations may change the system for students entering into the Spanish University system. The ASB High school administration and counseling department are closely following the implementation of these changes and will inform the community when a final decision has been made.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND DISCIPLINE PLAN
ASB wants to ensure that students are safe and respectful to the community. Furthermore, we believe it is important for community members to be clear about what are the consequences for students who do not meet ASB behavior expectations. Students are also expected to be conscious of their social behavior within and around our school. Students should be particularly conscious of respectful behavior towards teachers, staff and parents as they move through the hallways. Students should not be yelling, shouting, running, littering, or pushing others. Affectionate behavior between students should be limited. The success of the ASB behavior expectation depends on the continual support of the entire ASB Community: students, parents, administrators, and the teachers. In order to maintain a productive, nurturing and safe, educational environment for all students, the following responsibilities must be respected. Each student is expected to respect the rights and privileges of the other students, teachers, school staff, and any member of our community. Students shall conduct themselves responsibly in accordance with the rules and policies established for maintaining a productive learning environment.
Discipline Plan Overview: The following plan is designed to encourage students to develop self-discipline, while at the same time fostering a positive learning environment. When a student is having a discipline problem, it is the responsibility of the student, teachers, school staff and 86 Family Handbook 2015-2016 parents to work together to correct the problem. The Secondary Student Support Coordinator will assist the High School Principal in the resolution of discipline problems and ensures the policy is administered in a fair, timely, and just manner.
Actions taken to discipline students will vary depending on the severity of the infraction. ASB has categorized student infractions into three groups, minor infractions, major infractions and severe infractions. Disciplinary actions include school detentions and discipline referrals.
Detentions and Discipline Referrals: School detentions will be used for minor infractions as a way of limiting a student’s privileges during school hours. Discipline referrals will be used to document a student’s behavioral problems at school and will be sent to parents to inform them of their child’s problems.
When a student has had two detentions a discipline referral will be issued. Each referral is considered a serious violation of the school’s code of conduct, even though each detention may have been given for a relatively minor infraction. Receiving repeated discipline referrals will lead to more severe sanctions as defined below. First Referral: Letter is sent to parents Second Referral: Conference with parents Third Referral: One day suspension from school and a conference with parents Fourth Referral: One week suspension and the opening of a discipline record determine if expulsion from the school is warranted
During a suspension, students may not receive credit for assignments or evaluations they may miss.
Minor Infractions: Minor infractions such as those listed below are usually dealt with by the supervising teacher using in-class discipline procedures. In the case where the in-class procedures are not effective and the infraction is repeated, a detention may be given to the student. The school may need to follow-up on recurring minor infractions by: • Meeting with the other teachers of the student • Calling a conference with advisor and/or parents of the student • Forming a discipline contract with the student • Removing the student from the classroom. In this case, the student will be sent to the Principal’s office. This must not be repeated within a reasonable time frame. If the problem continues, more serious action must be taken to halt the behavioral problem.
The following are considered minor infractions: • Any minor disruption of the classroom learning or teaching environment • Failure to bring necessary materials to class, including textbooks, notebooks, homework and writing materials • Chewing gum • Eating outside designated areas Family Handbook 2015-2016 87
• Playing outside designated areas • Inappropriate attire • Littering • Tardiness to class/school • Failure to return signed report cards, progress reports and letters punctually • Throwing objects • Rough playing • Misuse of technology (i.e., laptop, cell phones, etc.)
Major Infractions: The following are examples of major infractions and will earn a student a discipline referral: • Disrespect towards a fellow student, a teacher or staff member • Use of obscene language or gestures • Damage to school or other property • Skipping a class • First incident of an academic integrity violation • Ignoring restricted areas on campus • Failure to attend an assigned school detention • Inappropriate behavior on a class trip • Violating technology rules
Severe Infractions: In case of severe misconduct, the disciplinary action will be reviewed by the administration and/or the discipline committee and may include but is not limited to the following actions: • Out of school suspension • Expulsion
The following are examples of severe infractions: • Smoking on campus during a school day or school function • Forgery or lying to a teacher or staff member • Stealing • Destroying or causing serious damage to school, staff or student property • Repeated incident of an academic integrity violation • Aggressive or abusive behavior towards members of the community, either physically or verbally. • Fighting • Leaving school grounds without proper permission • Bullying • Possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons.
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Weapons and Contraband: In order to promote a safe educational environment for all students at ASB, the school has a very strict policy on Alcohol, Drug Abuse, Weapons and Searches. 88 Family Handbook 2015-2016
The use, possession, buying, selling, giving or offering of any of the following objects or substances by any student of ASB on campus, in the immediate environs or during a ASB sponsored event is prohibited: • alcoholic beverages • narcotics or other illegal or dangerous drugs (including marijuana and hashish). • weapons, explosives or other dangerous contraband
Any student who violates this policy shall be immediately suspended from ASB. A student in violation of this policy will then be subject to expulsion from ASB after an investigation by the Administration.
All ASB property is under the control of the School Board and its officials. A search of ASB property, including but not limited to lockers, may be made at the discretion of the Director or the Middle School Principal, if a reasonable suspicion arises that objects considered illegal, disruptive, or a general nuisance to the educational process are being kept at ASB. Personal searches will be made in the presence of another adult and a report will be made to the parents Family Handbook 2015-2016 89
APPENDIX I
ASB ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
The Academic Honesty Framework
Academic Honesty is maintained when a student is not involved in malpractice during their studies. Malpractice covers any situation where a student gains an unfair advantage over their peers when completing assignments or during assessments. At ASB, we have grouped malpractice into 4 categories:
Cheating involves bringing unauthorized material into exams and/or receiving unauthorized help while completing an assessment. While in some cultures cheating may be seen as a reputable skill, ASB finds cheating as morally unacceptable.
Plagiarism is the use of another person’s work (words or images) without proper referencing. Students will be taught how to paraphrase and create accurate quotations, along with the correct referencing techniques to cite the work of others.
Collusion results when there is a collaborative effort between students and one student presents the work as their own.* While ASB does promote collaboration amongst students, each student must contribute and reference the work of others. When a student has an individual assignment, handing in the work of another student demonstrates malpractice being committed by both parties.
Other misconduct involves other areas where student behavior gives an unfair advantage over others, such as repeatedly missing school during assessments, misrepresenting the degree of participation in an activity, falsifying documentation or not reporting a known instance of malpractice by another student.
Breaches of Academic Honesty
As students develop the skills to be good academics, ASB is aware that breaches of academic honesty will occur, some unintentional and some very intentional. Students will be taught how to avoid situations that may be considered academically dishonest by understanding how to properly use and reference resources, how to work collaboratively and how to plan assignment completion
* Acceptable collaboration may be when students work together for a project or assessment according to teacher instruction or expectation (for example, a group presentation such as the IB TOK Presentation). Collusion occurs when collaborative efforts are explicitly prohibited by the teacher or the assessment expectation (for example, IB Mathematics investigations). 90 Family Handbook 2015-2016 in a timely manner. In most cases, breaches of academic honesty come from students not following the basic rules outlined by their teachers.
Breaches of academic honesty will be taken seriously and the consequences are designed to hold students responsible for their actions and give students learning opportunities to develop important academic skills. The consequences of a breach of academic honesty will vary depending on the severity of the situation. In most cases, the assessment or evaluation will not receive credit. The teacher and the principal and/or IB coordinator will review if the situation to consider if the work can be resubmitted. Repeated breaches of academic honesty can result in removal from a class and/or removal from an academic program (i.e. IB).
Roles and Responsibilities
The Director and Principals understand and actively encourage academic honesty, provide a positive environment for teaching and learning, and provide resources to support academic honesty and its implementation at the school.
Teachers understand and actively encourage academic honesty in all areas of their courses as well as share the responsibility of reinforcing best practices and provide students with detailed guidance on academic writing and referencing systems. In addition, teachers emphasize research skills, monitor the writing process in order to authenticate the writing, and create/structure assignments to encourage students’ own ideas through problem-solving, comparison, synthesis, analysis, etc.
Teachers have clear, transparent expectations and consequences regarding classwork, assignments, and projects.
Teachers observe the same practices and procedures in order to model referencing, citations and conventions of academic writing and research.
Parents provide support by encouraging ethical behavior and monitoring students’ work at home, asking questions of students about projects and process, and being familiar with ASB’s academic honesty policy.
Students receive instruction towards the ideals of academic honesty and are encouraged to behave ethically in their studies, including digital citizenship. Students have the obligation to adhere to guidelines with integrity and honesty, with respect to others as well as themselves. Students take responsibility for their actions and the consequences that accompany them.
Students are expected to make a best effort to learn academic writing and research, and apply skills of documentation and citation in all their work. They shall seek clarification from instructors when unsure of when or how to document, or if questions of collusion occur. They shall use time- management strategies to avoid situations that may compel them towards malpractice. Family Handbook 2015-2016 91
Both Students and Parents of the IB Diploma Program receive a copy of the General Regulations: Diploma Programme and understand and agree with its content. They must be aware that the IB does randomly check candidate work for plagiarism using a web-based plagiarism prevention service and imposes severe penalties when it is discovered, such as withholding or revoking a diploma.
Examples of conventions for citing and acknowledging original work
At ASB, we teach and encourage the use the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style of documenting and referencing. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers by Joseph Gibaldi is available online at http://www.mla.org, while links to resources showing examples of conventions are available on Moodle through the Purdue Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english. purdue.edu
Online Citation tools may be used to help students with their documentation: Easybib http://easybib.com Noodle Tools http:/www.noodletools.com Bibme http://www.bibme.org
Bibliography
“Academic Honesty.” IBO. July 2011. Online Curriculum Center. May 2013. PDF.
“Academic Honesty Policy .” Online Curriculum Center. IBO. Osaka International School. 14 Nov. 2011. Web. May 2013. PDF.
“Academic Honesty Pages from BCIS Student Planner.” Online Curriculum Center. IBO. Beijing City International School. 16 May 2011. Web. May 2013. PDF.
Carroll, Jude. “Academic honesty in the IB.” Online Curriculum Center. Oct. 2012. International Baccalaureate Organization. July 2012. Web. 14 Jun. 2013.
“White Paper The Plagiarism Spectrum: Instructor Insights into the 10 Types of Plagiarism.” Turnitin. iParadigms 2012. May 2013. PDF. 92 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX II
SAMPLE CLASS SCHEDULE – GRADE 10
pd 1 pd 2 pd 3 pd 4 pd 5 pd 6 BK 9:10 - 10:20 10:45 - 11:55 12:00 - 13:10 13:15 -14:00 14:00 -14:45 14:50 - 16:00
Historia Green World World Mon Physics Lunch HS Elective de España Field History Literature II
Historia Tues Catalan Algebra II Physics Lunch Castellano de España
World World Wed Teen Issues Algebra II Lunch SEED History Literature II
World Thurs Castellano Physics PE Lunch Catalan Literature II
World Fri Castellano Physics Algebra II Lunch PE History Family Handbook 2015-2016 93
APPENDIX III
ASB LANGUAGE POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
English is the main language of instruction at ASB. The vast majority of instruction and homework is done in English at ASB. Also, most communication within the school, from announcements to assemblies, is carried out in English. It is of vital importance that all students master the language in order to succeed at ASB.
ASB is a multi-lingual school. Many classes are taught in Spanish and Catalan as well as English. Our international students attain high levels of proficiency in the local languages while maintaining their fluency in English. In addition, the first language of many international students is one other than English, Spanish or Catalan. ASB students and staff are therefore all language learners. Given this context, we must underline the following:
Respect the target language: In any given class, students and teachers should speak the target language of that class.
Language learner classes: Language learner classes, whether for English, Spanish or Catalan, provide the students opportunities for safe, guided language practice, as well as the chance to learn about correct and effective use of language.
Positive attitude of students and parents: In order to improve their English, Spanish or Catalan, it is important for students and their parents to have a positive attitude to learning the target language. .They should seek opportunities for practice, such as participating in after-school activities, watching TV or movies, reading magazines and books, enrolling in summer camps in the target language, or participating in exchanges and/or traveling to places where the target .language is spoken.
Home language classes: ASB also values the maintenance and improvement of students’ native languages even if they are not English, Spanish or Catalan. In this light, home language classes are given to our Swedish, French and Greek communities after school. These communities have made arrangements for the teachers; ASB provides the space. We encourage our other nationalities to make arrangements for the development of home language classes.
94 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX IV
ASB COMMUNITY RESPECT POLICY
In view of the Mission of ASB and the values we wish to inculcate in our community, it is the objective of ASB to raise sensitivity and awareness to the diversity within the total school community.
It is considered unacceptable for any member of the community (staff, students or parents) to behave in any manner deemed intolerant, insensitive or violent to another member of the community. Family Handbook 2015-2016 95
APPENDIX V
ASB – EMAIL PROTOCOL
Consistent and appropriate communication between stakeholder groups in an international school is paramount for harmony within the community. These days, one of the most important forms of communication in any organization is email. This protocol is designed to encourage standardized use of email among ASB stakeholders.
In general, all “to” emails which include a question, a request for a meeting, or for information, or for some kind of feedback, should be answered within the time frame limits below (working days only).
Email Sent To Response Time Board Member 1 Week Administrator 24 hours (recommended); 48 hours (maximum) Teacher 48 hours (maximum) Parents and Students 72 hours (recommended)
1. If there is no time for a concrete response, acknowledgement of having received the email should be made. In this case, if possible, the responder should indicate when they are going to give a more complete answer and they should respect this commitment. 2. Purely informative or cced emails do not need to be answered. 3. Emails should be clear, concise, and easy to read. Senders should proofread them before sending. 4. Emails should not include confidential or potentially sensitive information. We strongly recommend that emails concerning such information be used for setting up meetings to discuss the issues in person. 5. Emails and email attachments should not be forwarded without the original writer’s permission. 6. Email is not always the best form of communication. In an emergency or when a response is required the same day as the initial communication is made, it should be done in person or via telephone. 96 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX IV
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
Secretaries ECC and Elementary Secretary Valerie Amorós [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 140 Middle School Secretary Carolina Calderón [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext117 High School Secretary Minú Yzaguirre [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 207 Business Office Secretary Lorena Muñoz [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 104
Head of Activities and Community Service Marta Vernet [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 103
Guidance counselors ECC and Elementary Counselor Heather Witthoff [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 126 Middle School and High School Counselor Brianda Rodríguez [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 147 College Counselor Allison Davis [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 147 Family Handbook 2015-2016 97
School nurse Anikó Bacsa [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 112
Athletic director Brandon Doles [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 236
Division principals ECC Principal Christina Torrengo [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 140 Elementary Principal Johanna Cena [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 140 Middle School Principal Paul Dean [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 117 High School Principal Bill Volchok [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 207
Director Mark Pingitore [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 Director Secretary Elena Gutierrez [email protected] 34 93 371 4016 ext. 117 98 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX VII
DISCIPLINE PLAN
Below is the legal process for addressing discipline issues within schools according to the current law.
1. Warning referral file
An informative discipline referral file will be opened by the Director at the request of any member of the staff or the school community. The referral file can also be opened at the Director’s discretion when a person who doesn’t belong to the educational community or school makes a formal complaint or concern.
1.1 Proceedings Referral files will be written on paper or digitally or using any other media, provided that they have the digital signature or verbal authorization of the person who reports the incident or requests for the file to be opened.
1.2. Steps Once the Director has been informed, he will then have to decide whether the referral file is to be opened or not. If the Director thinks that it is not necessary, the complaint will be filed and the person who made the formal complaint or concern will be notified.
If the decision is made to open a referral file, the person who made the formal complaint or concern will be informed. The Director will ask that anybody involved in the incident report to the Director in an objective manner.
Once all the necessary information to clarify the situation has been gathered, the referral file will be closed, if the Director thinks that the issue doesn’t constitute an offense.
If the Director thinks that the incident constitutes a criminal, civil, administrative, moral or religious offense, or a violation of internal discipline regulations, a discipline referral file will be opened.
1.3. Consequences of the referral file If the incident has been solved, the referral file will be closed and it will be recorded in the Referral File Record. The name of the reporting person will be recorded, as well as the name of the person accused, the reason for opening the warning file and the reason that caused the incident. Family Handbook 2015-2016 99
When the decision has been made to open a discipline referral file, the incident will also be recorded in the Referral File Record. In this case, the date in which the warning referral file was closed and the reason for opening a new referral file will be recorded.
In addition, the parties involved will be informed and they will have 15 days to lodge any complaints they deem necessary.
If, after 15 days, no allegations have been made, the Director’s decision cannot be changed. If there is an appeal, the Director will make a decision within 15 days. This decision can be appealed through the regional Education Inspection Department, if it is related to educational issues, and through the Personal Data Protection Bureau, if it is related to a violation of the law on Personal Data Protection. In all the other cases, appeals have to be made through the corresponding institution.
2. Discipline referral file
2.1. Proceedings A discipline referral file will be opened at the Director’s discretion when there is evidence that suggest that a criminal, civil, administrative, moral or religious offense, or a violation of the internal discipline regulations, has been committed, as well as offenses found in the Law on Personal Data Protection and the Law of Information and Electronic Commerce Bureau Services.
A discipline referral file might also be opened when the school is informed of an alleged violation of the regulations on the OLPDP or on the LIECBS. The complaint has to be submitted in writing and proof of identification of the person making the complaint has to be attached.
2.2. Steps Proof of identification of the person reporting the complaint must be attached to the written complaint, together with any necessary documents that support it. Such documents should be submitted to the school’s Director who will make a decision within the following 15 days. If the Director doesn’t respond within 15 days, it is understood that the Director rejects the complaint and will not open a discipline referral file.
After 15 days, if the decision is not satisfactory or if the Director has not responded, a written appeal can be submitted to the Board of Trustees.
If the formal complaint is admitted, a discipline referral file will be opened.
2.3. Opening of the discipline referral file 2.3.1. To initiate the process If the discipline referral file has been opened as a consequence of a warning referral, the parties involved will be informed so that they can appeal the decision within the next 15 days. 100 Family Handbook 2015-2016
If no allegations have been made within 15 days, the Director will set the disciplinary actions to be taken according to the discipline plan of the school’s internal discipline regulations.
If a discipline referral file is opened following a formal complaint, the Director will submit the complaint and all the documentation related to it, together with his decision, to all the parties involved and they will be able to appeal within the next 15 days.
2.3.2. Appeal period The involved parties will be able to accuse, defend themselves, submit any evidence or meet with whomever they deem necessary within 15 days. All requests should be in writing and addressed to the school’s Director.
After this, the appeal period will be closed and the Director will not accept any other written document or allegations and will notify the involved parties.
2.3.3. Lawyer’s Report After the appeal period, the school’s lawyer will write a non-binding report in which he/she will describe the process of the discipline referral file. In this report, the lawyer will suggest to the Director that the referral should be filed or that disciplinary actions should be taken.
2.3.4. Proposed disciplinary actions The process will be divided into seven steps: Step one: description of the facts supported with admitted evidence and not objected or contradicted by any of the involved parties. Step two: description of circumstantial evidence and proof. Step three: review of the written request of the involved parties. Step four: qualification of the presented facts. Step five: the legal regulations in which the qualification is based, with a copy of the articles. Step six: proposed disciplinary action. Step seven: indication of the possibility of appealing the decision through the Education Inspection Department, Bureau or corresponding institution.
2.4. Disciplinary action Following the lawyer’s advice, the Director will decide if the referral is filed or if any disciplinary actions are taken.
The involved parties will be notified with a written discipline referral. Steps one, two, six and seven will be included in the lawyer’s report and its content can be modified at the Director’s discretion after the lawyer’s report has been submitted.
2.5. Appeal Decisions related to violation of the law on Personal Data Protection can be appealed through the Personal Data Protection Bureau. Family Handbook 2015-2016 101
Decisions regarding discipline or educational issues can be appealed through the regional Education Inspection Department.
Decisions regarding criminal offenses can be appealed through the corresponding legal justice institution.
Decisions regarding family and interpersonal conflicts or any other measure concerning students and/or their family can be appealed through the corresponding civil institution.
2.6. Follow-up Once the decision has been given to all the involved parties, the Director will record the file on the school’s Referral File Record (Excel file indicating file number, dates in which actions were taken, dates in which the decisions were notified, and indicating whether it was a discipline referral or warning referral).
The file will be kept in the school’s log file, under the “Discipline Referral Files” section. If the school has a digital filing system, it will be filed under the administration’s “Robinson” file. 102 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX VIII
PROCESSING OF DATA AND INFORMATION ON IDENTIFIABLE LIVING PEOPLE
Decalogue
First – Information and personal data belong firstly to the person concerned (the subject) and secondly to people who know the subject. Only the person whose data is stored can use that information. If the subject gives consent, the information can be used by other people. The consent must be explicit. If not, the consent is not valid. Tacit consent is only valid and efficient if it specifically ratified by the subject.
Second – Only the subject has the right to access, modify or destroy the stored information, and, in the case of children or subjects legally disabled, their legal representative. Only parents or legal guardians can represent a child. Neither teachers nor educators can represent a child; they only process the information on behalf of the child’s legal representatives (parents/guardian). Therefore, they can only use the data if the parents, legal guardian or representative have previously consented.
Third - Teachers can use the information because they have been authorized by the school and not because the parents have given their permission directly to the teachers. Data related to students, staff and the school in general is property of the school. Therefore, the school can decide to use the data and information for whatever purposes it deems necessary. Every school year, the school provides the teachers and principals with all the necessary information for grading, for informing parents, and for any other educational and teaching tasks scheduled at the beginning of the school year. Once the school year is finished, teachers should return all the information given plus any other data that they have created. They don’t have the right to keep any information to which they had access while working in the school.
Fourth – The school is responsible for all the information collected for school purposes or on behalf of other public entities. In both cases, the school is responsible for the use and purpose of this information. Therefore, teachers are accountable to the school for the use and processing of the information received, and the security measures taken to manage the data.
Fifth - This principle requires that appropriate measures (technical and organizational) must be taken by the school against unauthorized or unlawful access to personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of personal data.
Sixth – The subject has the right to access, change or destroy any information held about him/ her and to know to whom it has been disclosed. He/she also has the right to object to and prevent processing of the data. The request must be made in writing or by filling out the corresponding Family Handbook 2015-2016 103 forms. Some information cannot be destroyed by law (for example, fiscal information, which has to be stored for 4 years or longer). In that case, the subject will be informed that his/her data cannot be destroyed by law and that the information will not be disclosed without their consent.
Seventh – Teachers and staff have the right to use data for educational purposes according to their internal policies. However, medical data can only be processed by the authorized staff, depending on the type of information. Therefore, teachers cannot disclose or process medical information unless they follow the procedures related to the law for administering medicines, the laws that regulate medical data processing or the R75 recommendations made by the Council of the European Parliament.
Eighth – Once parents have signed the permission form, the school will decide if the data can be disclosed to other parties and how it can be used. In addition, the school has to decide whether the data is stored, filed, destroyed or used for statistical purposes.
Ninth – Data regarding alumni, sports clubs, charitable organizations, and non-school activities in which students, teachers and external third parties participate is not considered school information. Therefore, all the above mentioned organizations are responsible for the processing of this data.
Tenth – Teachers, non-teaching staff and those involved in the school’s educational tasks who need to process data, must guarantee students, families, teachers and non-teaching staff right to dignity and privacy. 104 Family Handbook 2015-2016
APPENDIX IX
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Use of electronic devices and programs in the school’s physical and cyber space: 1. Only teachers can decide when and how electronic devices, programs and networks are to be used in class. 2. Students are not allowed to use programs, electronic devices or networks without authorized teacher’s permission, either in the school’s physical or cyber space. 3. Laptops must have an anti-virus program. If the student is using his/her personal laptop and infects other users, he/she will be responsible for all damages caused. 4. Students will not be able to use any kind of instant messenger systems without the teacher permission. 5. It is prohibited to use programs to damage content-control software (filters). 6. Students are not allowed to bring to school or post on the school’s cyber space any disrespectful or offensive movies, recordings, data, news or images. Any activities that promote, suggest or show images which are against the school’s ethics (violence, pornography, etc.) are forbidden. 7. Teachers can check the student’s computer at the discretion of the Director if a reasonable suspicion arises. 8. Students are not allowed to use a camera without the teacher’s permission. Should a student violate this rule, the camera/electronic device or recording programs will be confiscated. 9. Students must use the school’s WI-Fi connections. They will not be allowed to use other wireless connection systems without authorized teacher’s permission. 10. P2P programs (ARES, EMULE, etc.) are not allowed on the school premises. Should a student not follow this rule, his/her computer will be confiscated. 11. Within the school, it is not allowed to connect to external networks and domains without authorized teacher permission (to be proved). 12. Within the school is not allowed, physically or virtually, to use external accounts to the school’s domain without special authorization from the Director.
Any electronic device that has been confiscated will be kept by the school’s administration for a period of time to ensure that the student will not violate the rule again.
Introduction
The purpose of the Information and Computer Technology (ICT) program and Media Literacy programs at ASB is to support the students learning process in all subject areas by ensuring that students become highly skilled in using the tools available to the 21st century learner. Students are guided in developing understanding of as well as respectful use of on-line tools for working collaboratively through the use of emails, blogs, wikis, chats, forums and on-line communities. Family Handbook 2015-2016 105
They develop good research skills (collecting, evaluating and synthesizing information) while developing an understanding of copyright issues and learning to use MLA formatting to cite sources. Our aim is to balance optimum educational use of the internet with the safety and privacy rights of our students.
To that end we ask students to follow our guidelines: Use of ICT in the school’s physical and cyber space
The school and legal responsibility
Computers should not be considered as toys or games when used in the school’s physical and cyber space. They are educational tools that need to be supervised by the school’s administration (article 1903, section 5 of the Spanish Civil Code).
Teachers set the rules to use laptops, programs and mobile phones as well as the cyber use of data, images and voice, according to the following regulations:
1. Use of private laptops in the classroom – The School is responsible for school-owned devices and students are responsible for student-owned devices. However, the School is responsible for the usage of all devices in the school. – The teacher controls the use of computers and technology tools in his/her classroom. – In the classroom, private laptops must be turned off. The teacher will decide when computers can be on or off. The screen should also be off unless otherwise instructed. – When computers are not used for authorized purposes, they have to be kept in the students’ lockers. The locker must have an individual lock or key. – Students can only use the laptop outside the classroom when the class is split in two, or when students are working in groups or in the library. Once the activity is completed, the laptop must be put in the student’s locker. – Students are not allowed to use computers in the playground, corridors, lunchroom or leisure areas without written authorization from a teacher. – Private laptops can be used in the school premises only for school assignments. – Headphones can only be used when allowed by the teacher. – The school guarantees confidentiality, secret and unauthorized access to lockers. Therefore it is forbidden to give keys or access codes without written authorization from the Director. – No teacher can access any student device or locker without written authorization from the Director. The Director will only give such authorization in specific situations and for specific purpose, which have to be detailed in the authorization document.
2. Connections to networks – In order to use a network (public, private or social) it is necessary to have proof of the teacher‘s permission. 106 Family Handbook 2015-2016
– To use the systems, students must follow the instructions of the person in charge of ICT or the computer teacher. – To download movies, programs, games, music, videos or any other type of file from any network, students need the teacher’s permission. – Students cannot connect to chats, MSN, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network by phone without the permission of a teacher. – Within the School, students must use their school’s account. A permission (to be proved) from an authorized teacher must be given to use external email accounts. – Students can use their private email when allowed by a teacher authorized by the school. – Students must have an updated anti-virus program and operation system. – User names and passwords to access the school’s intranet and server are personal and cannot be shared. – It is prohibited to install programs that exchange information – P2P (such as Emule, Edonkey, BitTorrent, Ares, etc.) without written authorization from the Director.
3. Care of laptops – Students must make sure that the laptop battery is fully charged at the beginning of the school day. – Students can customize their computer hardware and screensaver. Offensive messages are not allowed and students must respect community standards. – Computers’ identification codes must always be visible. – Laptops must be protected from damage with a case. – Computer network configurations cannot be changed. – Usage of the school network is mandatory. With appropriate proved authorization, students will be able to connect to external networks according to what it has been authorized in form of time and purposes. – Computers should be handled with care and not exposed to sunlight. – The student and their legal guardian are responsible for handling the computer and programs from/to home or vice versa. – Students are not allowed to share their computer with a peer unless their parent or legal guardian and a teacher agree.
4. Technology issues – In the event of a technical problem: – Students must inform the teacher. – If the teacher cannot solve the problem, the student will have to fill out a form indicating his/her name and surname, class, day, time and a brief description of the issue. – The computer and the form have to be submitted to the homeroom teacher.
THESE RULES ARE TO PROTECT ALL USERS, SO STUDENTS WHO DO NOT FOLLOW THESE RULES MAY LOSE COMPUTER PRIVILEGES OR FACE OTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
Family Handbook 2015-2016 107
AUTHORIZATION FORMS
STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING
PLEASE CAREFULLY REVIEW THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AND SIGN BELOW
I/We, parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student(s) , understand and agree to the following:
• The AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’S founding mem- keting or public relations purposes, in any internal or external ber established the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA as school publications. For example, the AMERICAN SCHOOL an independent, not-for-profit, college-preparatory school. The OF BARCELONA during school events and activities for the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA offers a college-pre- school’s weekly bulletin, the Lantern, the annual Yearbook paratory program in accordance with its philosophy and objec- and the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA calendar, tives, and based upon United States standards and practices. The the school’s website (www.asbarcelona.com) or other social Board of Trustees is entrusted with ensuring that the AMERI- media networks, English language magazines and newslet- CAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’s mission, as outlined in its ters and for the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’s philosophy and objectives, continue indefinitely. promotional purposes including advertisements, brochures • In order to ensure that the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCE- and audiovisual presentations. The mentioned publications LONA’s mission continues indefinitely, the Board of Trustees of will be aimed at students, their families, potential students the school implemented bylaws, policies and procedures in order and any other person or institution interested in educational to assist it in achieving this goal. activities or interested in the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA. • The Board of Trustees which governs the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA is made up of a mix of internal and external • Unless requested otherwise in writing, we agree that the School members of our community. may use the student’s name, portrait, or likeness in connection with School activities or in publicizing the School. Except as pro- • Parents who choose to enroll their children in the AMERICAN hibited by law, the School may use the student’s information and SCHOOL OF BARCELONA understand and agree with the records at the School’s discretion. AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’s mission, philoso- phy, objectives, policies, procedures, program and governance, • Refusal to give information might result in a student’s file be- that are at the disposition of parents and students in the Family ing incomplete and might prevent him/her from participating in Handbook. some activities. It may also prevent the school from filling certain contract with parents. • ln matters of dress, personal hygiene policies, technology and procedures, children are required to follow the School’s guide- • For the safety and security of the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF lines. These guidelines will be in accordance with Spanish leg- BARCELONA students, we will not promote or take any action islation and appropriate to the standards and expectations of the that may cause the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’S AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA’s community. The name and address to appear in any public media (i.e. T.V., news- AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA and its community at- papers, magazines, etc.). tach importance to the appearance of its students. • It is my/our responsibility to notify the School of an appointed • The School reserves the right to not admit students. The School guardian if both parents are temporarily away from BARCE- also reserves the right to dismiss a student whose conduct on or LONA. away from campus indicates that s/he is not in accordance with • I/We have communicated all pertinent information about my the ideas, objectives, and program of the School. child’s emotional, academic and behavioral issues to the AMER- • Upon admission of the student, I/We agree to personally assume ICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA. financial responsibility for all school tuition and fees and for the • I/We have communicated all pertinent information about my loss of, or damage to, school textbooks and property caused by child’s HEALTH issues to the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BAR- the student. CELONA and understand that admission is contingent on the • Unless requested otherwise in writing, we agree that the School school’s ability to meet my child’s health needs successfully with- may use our names, phones and emails to be included in the an- out impacting his/her educational program or that of the other nual phone and email directory. students in the classroom. • I/We give the AMERICAN SCHOOL OF BARCELONA per- • Siblings are not guaranteed admission. mission to reproduce my child’s image, for educational, mar- • I/We have read and understood the contents of the Handbook. 108 Family Handbook 2015-2016
In compliance with the provisions of Article 5 of Law 15/1999 of December 13, Protection of Personal Data (hereinafter LOPD), we inform you that the data you enter on the forms you find on the web and that you send to our email address, will be incorporated as you supply them to a General Database Management of ASB, duly registered in the private file of the Spanish Agency for Data Protection. The data controller is the school “The American School of Barcelona”. We will use the data to provide the services you request and to send you information on our activities via email or postal address. We remind you that you have the right to consult, access, delete, cancel, rectify and oppose your data, this is treated in the terms provided in the order and, especially in the LOPD and LSSI. To exercise these rights you may write to Jaume Balmes Street 7, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, reached by phone at 933 714 016 or send an email to the address [email protected] with the words “PRIVACY” in the subject
Signature of Parents
Date Family Handbook 2015-2016 109
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM I
General administration data protection
The school has a digital file, a document file and an audiovisual file with personal information and data. All that information is stored in the GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DATA BASE. The school’s data base has been created and managed to keep the pertinent information related to the students’ and their families’ files and to share that information with other people and institutions using the appropriate legal channels. The school publishes information related to educational activities in different public media – the website, blogs, and magazines, among others, and students’ images, sound, work or personal data may appear and, or people related to them. Such information is used by the different sections in which the school is divided and also by some institutions that collaborate with the school. This data will be released only to fulfill the school commitment with the student’s parents/legal guardian when strictly necessary or when required by a legally authorized entity. Refusal to give information might result in a student’s file being incomplete and might prevent him/her from participating in some activities. It may also prevent the school from filling contract with parents and legal guardians. Security cameras are installed on the school premises. Parents/legal guardian have the right to refuse their child’s data being processed, shared, accessed, checked, changed or deleted, according to the Law 15/1.999 of December 13th, and following the procedures stated on the Royal Act 1720/2007 of December 21st. The school is responsible for maintaining the data base. If you have any questions or would like to exercise the above mentioned rights, please contact the school at [email protected] or at 93 371 40 16.
I (parent/legalguardian) of ( name and surname of the child),
AUTHORIZE the school to use the information and data based on the information given to me, provided that the information released is used for the services provided by the school. Therefore, I give permission to the school to share my child’s information with the public and private entities that collaborate with the school, in compliance with the Law 15/1999 of December 13th, Law 24/2002 of July 11th, and the Royal Act 1720/2007 of December 21st, without detriment to my right to revoke my authorization whenever I deem it convenient.
Signed: Parent/legal guardian Signature
Date: 110 Family Handbook 2015-2016
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM II
Fieldtrip permission form
Mr./Mrs. (parent/legal guardian) of
(name and surname of the child), gives permission for his/her child to participate in all curricular fieldtrips organized by ASB during the 2015-16 school year.
He/she also grants power of attorney to his/her child’s teacher to represent his/her child when needed or in case of an emergency.
Signed: (Parent/legal guardian Signature)
Date:
Family Handbook 2015-2016 111
AUTHORIZATION/PERMISSION FORM III
Permission form to administer medicines
Mr./Mrs. (parent/legal guardian) of
(name and surname of the child),
Request
1. That the staff of the American School of Barcelona administers the medicine
prescribed by Dr. with medical license number on (date), every hours, on behalf of
Mr./Mrs. (parent/legal guardian).
2. A copy of the doctor’s original prescription must be attached to this form.
3. (parent/legal guardian) has decided to administer his/her child, the medicine prescribed by Dr. , under his sole responsibility, and he/she exempts the staff and the school of any responsibility that the medication side effect may cause.
Signed: (Parent/legal guardian Signature)
Date:
WELCOME TO THE
LEADING INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SINCE 1962 WELCOME TO THE
FAMILY HANDBOOK 2015-2016
High School Middle School Elementary School www.a-s-b.com WELCOME TO THE Early Childhood C/ Jaume Balmes, 7 Center 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
WELCOME TO THE